over 


)rnia 
al 


Ry  ARTHUR  M.WINFEL 


IT  WAS  EXCITING  TO  BRING  THE  ROWBOAT  THROUGH  THE 

PASSAGE.- J'afe  188. 
The  Rotvr  Boys  on  Treasure  Isle. 


THE   ROVER  BOYS 
ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

OR 

THE  STRANGE  CRUISE  OF  THE 
STEAM  YACHT 

BY 
ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL,  THE 

ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN.  THE  PUTNAM 

HALL  SERIES,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS 

M*de  in  the  United  Sute*  el  Anxnca 


BOOKS  BY  ARTHUR  M.  WINVIECD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 


THE  FIRST  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 


THE  SECOND  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


THE  PUTNAM  HALL  SERIES 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CHAMPIONS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  REBELLION 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  ENCAMPMENT 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  MYSTERY 


I2mo.    Cloth.    Illustrated. 
GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  New  York 


COPYRIGHT,  »09,  BY 
EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


The  Rover  Boyt  on  Trtature  hit 


Stack 


INTRODUCTION. 

MY  DEAR  BOYS:  This  is  a  complete  tale  in 
itself,  but  forms  the  thirteenth  volume  of  the 
"Rover  Boys  Series  for  Young  Americans." 

This  line  of  books  was  started  some  ten  years 
ago  with  the  publication  of  the  first  three  vol 
umes,  "The  Rover  Boys  at  School,"  "The  Rover 
Boys  on  the  Ocean"  and  "The  Rover  Boys  in  the 
Jungle."  At  that  time  I  thought  to  end  the  series 
with  a  fourth  volume — provided  the  readers 
wanted  another.  But  with  the  publication  of 
"The  Rover  Boys  Out  West,"  came  a  cry  for 
"more!"  and  so  I  added  "On  the  Great  Lakes," 
"In  the  Mountains,"  "In  Camp,"  "On  Land  and 
Sea,"  "On  the  River,"  "On  the  Plains,"  "In 
Southern  Waters"  and  "On  the  Farm,"  where 
we  last  left  our  friends. 

For  a  number  of  years  Tom,  Dick  and  Sam 
have  attended  a  military  academy,  but  now  their 
school  days  at  Putnam  Hall  are  at  an  end,  and 
we  find  them  getting  ready  to  go  to  college.  But 
before  leaving  home  for  the  higher  seat  of  lear*»- 


207651? 


INTRODUCTION 

ing  they  take  a  remarkable  cruise  on  a  steam 
yacht,  searching  for  an  island  upon  which  it  is 
said  a  large  treasure  is  hidden.  They  are  accom 
panied  on  this  trip  by  their  father  and  a  number 
of  friends,  and  have  several  adventures  some 
what  out  of  the  ordinary,  and  also  a  good  bit  of 
fun — for  there  is  bound  to  be  fun  when  Tom 
Rover  is  around.  They  lose  themselves  and  lose 
their  yacht,  and  once  some  of  them  come  pretty 
close  to  losing  their  lives,  but  in  the  end — well, 
the  story  will  tell  the  rest. 

I  cannot  close  without  again  thanking  my 
many  friends  for  all  the  nice  things  they  have 
said  about  the  "Rover  Boys"  stories  and  the 
"Putnam  Hall"  stories.  I  trust  the  present  vol 
ume  will  fulfill  every  fair  expectation. 

Affectionately  and  sincerely  yours, 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    BOUND  FOR  HOME I 

II.    AN  IMPORTANT  TELEGRAM n 

III.  FUN  ON  THE  FARM 19 

IV.  A  MIDNIGHT  SEARCH 29 

V.    AT  THE  OLD  MILL 39 

VI.    THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE 50 

VII.    IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  is  MISSING 60 

VIII.    THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 70 

IX.    A  CHASE  ON  THE  BOWERY 80 

X.    DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER oo 

XL    ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT 100 

XII.    SOMETHING  ABOUT  FIRECRACKERS in 

XIII.  A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE 120 

XIV.  WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID 130 

XV.    THE  SAILING  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT 140 

XVI.    A  Row  ON  SHIPBOARD 150 

XVII.    A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG 159 

XVIII.    THE  NEW  DECK  HAND 169 

XIX.    TREASURE  ISLE  AT  LAST 179 

XX.    THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY 189 

XXL    SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY 198 

XXII.    PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST 208 

XXIH.  WHAT  WINGATE  HAD  TO  TELL.  .                  .  218 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEK  PAGE 

XXIV.  A  MISSING  LANDMARK 226 

XXV.  THE  TRAIL  THROUGH  THE  JUNGLE 234 

XXVI.  A  DISMAYING  DISCOVERY 241 

XXVII.  WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  STEAM  YACHT...  249 
XXVIII.    A  NEW  MOVE  OF  THE  ENEMY 25; 

XXIX.    THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  TREASURE 265 

XXX.    HOMEWARD  BOUND — CONCLUSION  275 


THE  ROVER   BOYS  ON 
TREASURE   ISLE 


CHAPTER   I 

BOUND   FOR   HOME 

"HURRY  up,  Sam,  unless  you  want  to  be  left 
behind!" 

"I'm  coming!"  shouted  Sam  Rover,  as  he 
crossed  the  depot  platform  on  the  run.  "Where 
is  Tom?" 

"He  went  ahead,  to  get  two  good  seats  for  us," 
answered  Dick  Rover.  He  looked  around  the 
crowd  that  had  gathered  to  take  the  train.  "Hi, 
there,  Songbird,  this  way!  Come  in  this  car, 
Hans!" 

"Say,  aren't  you  fellows  coming  aboard?" 
came  a  voice  from  the  nearest  car,  and  a  curly- 
topped  head  with  a  pair  of  laughing  eyes  ap 
peared.  "Folks  crowding  in  to  beat  the  band! 
Come  on  in  if  you  want  seats." 

"We'll  be  in  directly,"  answered  Sam,  and  fol- 


2         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

lowed  his  brother  Dick  to  the  car  steps.  Here 
there  was  quite  a  jam,  and  the  Rover  boys  had 
all  they  could  do  to  get  into  the  car,  followed  by 
half  a  dozen  of  their  school  chums.  But  Tom 
Rover  had  managed  to  keep  seats  for  all,  and 
they  sat  "in  a  bunch,"  much  to  their  satisfaction. 
Then  the  train  rolled  out  of  the  station,  and  the 
journey  homeward  was  begun. 

The  term  at  Putnam  Hall  Military  Academy 
was  at  an  end,  and  the  school  days  of  the  three 
Rover  boys  at  that  institution  were  now  a  thing 
of  the  past.  Each  had  graduated  with  honors,  yet 
all  were  a  trifle  sad  to  think  that  there  would  be 
no  going  back  to  a  place  where  they  had  made  so 
many  friends. 

"It's  almost  like  giving  up  your  home,"  Dick 
had  said,  several  times,  while  at  the  actual  part 
ing  Sam  had  had  to  do  his  best  to  keep  back  the 
tears  which  welled  up  in  his  eyes.  Even  fun- 
loving  Tom  had  stopped  a  good  deal  of  his  whist 
ling  and  had  looked  unusually  sober. 

"We'll  never  have  such  good  times  as  we've 
had  at  Putnam  Hall,"  Sam  had  said,  but  he  was 
mistaken,  as  later  events  proved. 

The  three  Rover  boys  did  not  wish  to  part 
from  their  many  school  chums,  yet  they  were 
more  than  anxious  to  get  home,  and  for  this 
there  was  a  very  good  reason.  Their  father 


BOUND  FOR  HOME  3 

had  told  them  that  he  had  a  very  important  com 
munication  to  make  to  them — one  regarding 
how  the  summer  was  to  be  spent.  So  far  no 
arrangements  had  been  made  for  the  vacation, 
and  the  brothers  were  anxious  to  know  "what 
was  in  the  wind,"  as  Tom  expressed  it. 

"Maybe  we  are  to  prepare  for  college,"  said 
Dick. 

"Perhaps  we  are  to  go  on  another  trip  to 
Africa?"  added  Sam. 

"Or  start  on  a  hunt  for  the  North  Pole,"  put 
in  Tom.  "That  would  be  just  the  thing  for  this 
hot  weather." 

"I  can  tell  you  one  thing,"  went  on  Dick. 
"Whatever  father  has  on  his  mind  is  of  a  serious 
nature.  It  is  no  mere  outing  for  pleasure." 

"I  know  that,"  answered  Sam-  "I  could  see 
it  by  the  look  on  his  face." 

"Well,  we'll  know  all  about  it  by  this  time  to 
morrow,"  said  Tom.  "I  hope  it  is  some  trip— 
I  love  to  travel,"  and  his  brothers  nodded  their 
heads  in  approval. 

To  those  who  have  read  any  of  the  twelve 
previous  volumes  in  this  "Rover  Boys  Series"  the 
three  brothers  will  need  no  special  introduction. 
For  the  benefit  of  new  readers  allow  me  to  state 
that  Dick  was  the  oldest,  fun-loving  Tom  next, 
and  Sam  the  youngest.  They  were  the  sons  of 


4         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Anderson  Rover,  a  widower  and  rich  mine 
owner.  The  father  was  a  great  traveler,  and  for 
years  the  boys  had  made  their  home  with  their 
uncle,  Randolph  Rover,  and  their  Aunt  Martha, 
on  a  farm  called  Valley  Brook,  in  the  heart  of 
New  York  state. 

From  the  farm,  and  while  their  father  was  in 
Africa,  the  boys  had  been  sent  to  Putnam  Hall, 
as  related  in  the  first  volume  of  this  series,  en 
titled,  "The  Rover  Boys  at  School."  At  the  Hall 
they  made  a  score  of  friends  and  several  ene 
mies,  some  of  which  will  be  introduced  later.  A 
term  at  school  was  followed  by  a  trip  on  the 
ocean,  and  then  one  into  the  jungles  of  the  Dark 
Continent  in  search  of  Mr.  Rover,  who  had  mys 
teriously  disappeared.  Then  the  Rover  boys 
went  out  west  and  to  the  great  lakes,  and  later 
spent  a  fine  time  hunting  in  the  mountains.  They 
likewise  spent  some  time  in  camp  with  their  fel 
low  cadets,  and  during  the  summer  vacation 
took  a  long  trip  on  land  and  sea.  Then  they 
returned  home,  and  during  another  vacation 
sailed  down  the  Ohio  River  in  a  houseboat,  spent 
some  time  on  the  plains,  took  an  unexpected  trip 
to  southern  waters,  and  then  came  back  to  the 
farm. 

On  getting  back  home,  as  related  in  the  twelfth 
volume  of  this  series,  called  "The  Rover  Boys 


BOUND  FOR  HOME  5 

on  the  Farm,"  the  boys  had  imagined  that  ad 
ventures  for  them  were  a  thing  of  the  past.  They 
were  willing  to  take  it  easy,  but  this  was  not  to 
be.  Some  bad  men,  including  a  sharper  named 
,Sid  Merrick,  were  responsible  for  the  theft  of 
some  freight  from  the  local  railroad,  and  Mer 
rick,  by  a  slick  trick,  obtained  possession  of  some 
traction  company  bonds  belonging  to  Randolph 
Rover.  The  Rover  boys  managed  to  locate  the 
freight  thieves,  but  Sid  Merrick  got  away  from 
them,  dropping  a  pocketbook  containing  the  trao- 
tion  company  bonds  in  his  flight.  This  was  at  a 
time  when  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  had  returned  to 
Putnam  Hall  for  their  final  term  at  that  insti 
tution.  At  the  Hall  they  had  made  a  bitter 
enemy  of  a  big,  stocky  bully  named  Tad  Sobber 
and  of  another  lad  named  Nick  Pell.  Tad  Sob 
ber,  to  get  even  with  the  Rovers  for  a  fancied 
injury,  sent  to  the  latter  a  box  containing  a  live, 
poisonous  snake.  The  snake  got  away  and  hid 
in  Nick  Pell's  desk  and  Nick  was  bitten  and  for 
some  time  it  was  feared  that  he  might  die.  He 
exposed  Tad  Sobber,  and  fearing  arrest  the 
bully  ran  away  from  the  Hall.  Later,  much  to 
their  surprise,  the  Rover  boys  learned  that  the 
bully  was  a  ward  and  nephew  of  Sid  Merrick, 
and  when  the  sharper  disappeared  Tad  Sobber 
went  with  him. 


5         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"They  are  certainly  a  bad  pair,"  said  Dick, 
but  how  bad  the  Rovers  were  still  to  find  out. 

With  the  boys  on  the  train  were  John  PoweH, 
better  known  as  "Songbird,"  because  he  had  a 
habit  of  reciting  newly  made  doggerell  which  he 
called  poetry,  Hans  Mueller,  a  German  youth 
who  frequently  got  his  English  badly  twisted, 
Fred  Garrison,  who  had  graduated  with  the 
Rovers,  and  some  others. 

"Dick,  you  haven't  told  me  yet  what  you  in 
tend  to  do  this  summer,"  remarked  Fred  Garri 
son,  as  the  train  rolled  on. 

"Because  I  don't  know,  Fred,"  answered  the 
elder  Rover.  "My  father  has  something  in 
store,  but  I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

"Can't  you  guess?" 

"No." 

"I  wish  we  could  take  another  trip  like  that 
on  the  houseboat — it  was  certainly  a  dandy." 

"The  best  ever!"  put  in  Tom.  "Even  if  we 
did  have  trouble  with  Lew  Flapp,  Dan  Baxter 
and  some  others." 

"Speaking  of  Dan  Baxter  puts  me  in  mind  of 
something,"  came  from  Songbird  Powell.  "It 
has  just  leaked  out  that  Tad  Sobber  sent  a  note 
to  Captain  Putnam  in  which  Tad  blamed  some 
of  the  cadets  for  his  troubles,  and  said  he  was 
roing  to  get  square  some  day." 


BOUND  FOR  HOME  7 

"Did  he  mention  any  names?"  questioned  Sam. 

"Yes." 

"Mine?" 

"Yes— and  Dick's  and  Tom's,  too." 

"It  is  just  like  Sobber — to  blame  his  troubles 
on  somebody  else,"  remarked  Dick. 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  him,"  declared  Tom.  "He 
had  better  keep  his  distance — unless  he  wants  to 
get  the  worst  of  it.  We  used  to  put  up  with  a 
whole  lot  from  Dan  Baxter  before  he  reformed 
— I  am  not  going  to  put  up  with  as  much  from 
Sobber." 

"Tad  certainly  went  off  in  bad  company,"  said 
Sam.  "His  uncle  ought  to  be  in  prison  this  min 
ute." 

"Have  the  authorities  heard  anything  of  Mer- 
rick?"  asked  Songbird. 

"Not  a  thing." 

"I  dink  me  dot  feller  has  skipped  to  Europe 
alretty,"  vouchsafed  Hans  Mueller.  "He  vould 
peen  afraid  to  stay  py  der  United  States  in, 
yah!"  And  the  German  boy  shook  his  head 
wisely. 

"Personally  I  never  want  to  set  eyes  on  Sob 
ber  again,"  said  Dick,  with  a  shrug  of  his  broad 
shoulders.  "The  idea  of  introducing  that  deadly 
snake  into  the  school  was  the  limit.  Why,  half 


g         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

a  dozen  of  us  might  have  been  bitten  instead  of 
only  poor  Pell." 

"Maybe  he  did  it  only  for  a  joke,"  said  Larry 
Colby,  another  of  the  cadets. 

"If  he  did,  it  was  carrying  a  joke  altogether 
too  far — endangering  one  or  more  human  lives. 
I  don't  believe  in  that  sort  of  fun." 

"Nor  do  I,"  came  from  several. 

"If  he  is  in  Europe  with  his  uncle  perhaps  I'll 
meet  him  there,"  said  Larry  Colby.  "I  am  going 
to  France  and  Italy  with  my  uncle  and  cousin. 
Wish  some  of  you  fellows  were  going  along," 
he  added,  wistfully. 

"I  am  going  to  the  Maine  woods,"  said  a  lad 
named  George  Cranberry.  "You  can  never  guess 
who  is  going  there,  too." 

"Who?" 

"William  Philander  Tubbs  and  Mr.  Strong." 

"What,  our  own  dude  going  to  camp  in  the 
wilderness,"  cried  Tom.  "Oh,  if  I  was  only 
along  wouldn't  I  give  him  some  surprises!" 

"I'll  have  some  fun — don't  forget  that!"  re 
plied  George,  with  a  grin.  "But  as  Mr.  Strong 
is  going  to  be  along,  of  course  I'll  have  to  be  a 
little  careful." 

"Dear  Mr.  Strong!"  murmured  Sam,  with  a 
sigh.  "What  a  fine  teacher  he  is,  and  how  I  hate 
to  give  him  up!" 


BOUND  FOR  HOME  9 

"1  envy  your  having  him  along,"  said  Dick. 

At  that  moment  the  train  rolled  into  a  station 
and  Larry  and  some  of  the  others  got  off. 

"We  leave  you  at  the  next  station,"  said  Song 
bird,  to  the  Rovers.  "When  you  find  out  what 
you  are  going  to  do  this  summer,  write  and  let 
me  know." 

"I  certainly  shall,"  answered  Dick. 

The  three  Rover  boys  soon  after  found  them 
selves  alone.  They  had  to  make  a  change  of 
cars,  and  some  time  later  rolled  into  the  station 
at  Oak  Run. 

"Home  again!"  shouted  Tom,  as  he  alighted 
on  the  depot  platform. 

"Yes,  and  there  is  Uncle  Randolph  waiting  for 
us,"  added  Dick,  as  he  hurried  forward  to  meet 
his  relative.  "How  do  you  do,  Uncle !"  he  cried. 

"I  am  well,  Richard,"  answered  Randolph 
Rover,  and  then  he  shook  hands  with  all  three 

boys.  "Your — er — your  father "  he  began 

and  hesitated. 

"Father?  What  of  him?"  asked  Tom,  in 
quick  alarm,  for  he  saw  that  his  uncle  was  much 
disturbed. 

"Isn't  he  with  you?" 

"Why,  no !"  answered  the  three,  in  a  chorus. 

"He  started  for  home  last  night,"  added  Dick. 


I0       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Took  the  train  after  the  one  you  and  Aunt  Mar 
tha  took." 

"But  he  didn't  come  home,"  said  Randolph 
Rover. 

"Didn't  come  home?" 

"No." 

"Didn't  he  send  any  word?"  questioned  Sam.  ' 

"None  that  I  received." 

"He  said  he  was  going  straight  home — would 
telephone  from  Lockville  for  the  carriage  to 
meet  the  last  train,"  said  Tom.  "This  is  mighty 
queer." 

It  was  queer  and  for  the  moment  the  Rover 
boys  and  their  uncle  stared  blankly  at  one  an 
other. 

"Something  is  wrong,"  declared  Dick,  pres 
ently.  "And  I  am  going  to  make  it  my  busi 
ness  to  find  out  at  once  what  it  is." 


CHAPTER   II 

AN    IMPORTANT   TELEGRAM 

DICK  ROVER  would  not  have  been  so  much 
disturbed  by  his  father's  disappearance  had  it 
not  been  for  one  thing,  which  was  that  Mr. 
Rover,  on  leaving  the  closing  exercises  at  Put 
nam  Hall,  had  declared  that  he  would  take  the 
last  train  home  that  night.  This  train  got  into 
Oak  Run  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when 
the  station  was  closed  and  the  platform  usually 
deserted. 

"Let  us  ask  around  and  see  if  anybody  was 
here  when  the  train  came  in,"  suggested  Tom. 

They  first  appealed  to  Mr.  Ricks,  the  station 
master,  an  old  and  crabbed  individual,  who  dis 
liked  the  boys  for  the  jokes  they  had  played  on 
him  in  times  past.  He  shook  his  head  at  once. 

"Don't  keep  the  station  open  that  long,"  he 
grunted.  "I  was  home  an'  in  bed,  an'  I  don't 
know  anything  about  your  father." 

11 


12       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Was  anybody  around  the  station,  that  you 
know  of  ?"  went  on  Dick. 

"No." 

"Did  any  telegram  come  in  for  our  family?" 

"If  it  did  I  reckon  Jackson  would  send  it  over, 
or  telephone." 

"Let  us  ask  Jackson  and  make  sure,"  said  Sam, 
and  led  the  way  to  the  telegraph  office.  The  tele 
graph  receiver  was  ticking  away  at  a  lively  rate, 
and  Jackson,  who  had  charge  of  the  office,  was 
taking  down  a  message  on  a  blank. 

"Hullo!"  cried  the  telegrapher,  as  he  finished 
and  looked  up.  "Here  is  a  message  for  Mr.  Ran 
dolph  Rover  hot  off  the  wire.  It  won't  take  long 
to  deliver  it,"  and  he  handed  it  over.  "It's  paid 
for,"  he  added.  "But  you'll  have  to  sign  for  it," 
and  Mr.  Rover  did  so. 

Eagerly  all  the  Rovers  read  the  communica 
tion,  which  ran  as  follows : 

"Am  following  man  I  want  to  catch  if  possi- 
,ble.    May  be  away  from  home  several  days  or  a 
,week.     Very   important  to   see  man — trip   this 
summer  depends  upon  it. 

"ANDERSON  ROVER." 

"Wonder  who  the  man  can  be?"  mused  Dick, 
after  reading  the  message  twice. 


AN  IMPORTANT  TELEGRAM  13 

"He  has  something  to  do  with  this  matter 
father  was  'going  to  tell  us  about,"  returned  Sam. 
"It's  certainly  a  mystery." 

"Well,  this  relieves  our  anxiety,"  said  Ran 
dolph  Rover.  "So  long  as  I  know  nothing  has 
happened,  your  father  can  stay  away  as  long  as 
he  pleases." 

"But  I  am  dying  to  know  what  it  is  all  about," 
burst  out  Tom,  who  was  always  impatient  to  get 
at  the  bottom  of  things.  "Uncle  Randolph,  do 
you  know  what  father  has  in  mind  to  do  this 
summer  ?" 

"He  talks  about  taking  a  sea  trip,  but  where 
to  I  don't  know." 

"And  he  wants  us  to  go  along?"  queried  the 
youngest  Rover. 

"I  believe  so,  Samuel." 

"Hurrah!    I'd  like  a  sea  trip  first-rate." 

"Yes,  but "  Mr.  Rover  lowered  his  voice. 

"He  doesn't  want  anybody  to  know  where  to. 
It's  some  kind  of  a  secret — very  important,  I 
imagine — something  to  do  with  a  gold  mine,  or 
something  of  the  sort.  He  did  not  give  me  any 
particulars." 

"He  said  he  was  going  to  let  us  know  about  it 
when  we  got  home  from  the  Hall,"  said  Dick. 
"I  hope  he  catches  his  man." 

"Wonder  who  it  can  be?"  came  from  Tom. 


J4       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Nobody  could  answer  that  question,  and  in  a 
thoughtful  mood  the  three  Rover  boys  followed 
their  uncle  to  the  carriage  and  got  in.  Then 
the  team  was  touched  up  and  away  they  whirled, 
out  of  the  village,  across  Swift  River,  and  in  the 
direction  of  Valley  Brook  farm. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  June  and  never  had 
the  country  looked  finer.  As  they  swept  along 
the  well-kept  road  Dick  drew  a  deep  breath  of 
satisfaction. 

"This  air  makes  a  fellow  feel  new  all  over!" 
he  declared. 

"I  suppose  you  are  going  to  plant  and  grow 
some  wonderful  things  this  summer,  Uncle  Ran 
dolph,"  said  Tom.  His  uncle  had  studied  scien 
tific  farming  for  years,  but  had  never  made  any 
tremendous  success  of  it — in  fact  his  experiments 
usually  cost  him  considerably  more  than  they 
brought  in. 

"Well — er — I  am  trying  my  hand  this  year  on 
some  Mexican  melons  said  to  be  very  fine, 
Thomas,"  was  the  reply. 

"Mexican  melons?"  said  the  fun-loving  Tom, 
innocerrtly.  "That  puts  me  in  mind — when  I  was 
over  to  Albany  last  I  saw  a  pumpkin  in  a  restau 
rant  window  eight  feet  high  and  at  least  ten  feet 
across." 


AN  IMPORTANT  TELEGRAM  75 

"Is  it  possible!"  ejaculated  Randolph  Rover, 
gazing  at  his  nephew  incredulously. 

"Sure  thing.  The  pumpkin  looked  to  be  good, 
too.  They  had  a  lot  of  pumpkin  pies  set  around 
it,  just  for  an  advertisement." 

"Thomas,  did  you  measure  that  pumpkin?" 

"No;  why  should  I?" 

"Then  how  do  you  know  it  was  eight  feet  high 
and  ten  feet  across?" 

"Why,  Uncle  Randolph,  I  didn't  say  the  pump 
kin  was  eight  feet  high  and  ten  feet  across.  I 
said  I  saw  it  in  a  restaurant  window  eight  feet 
high  and  ten  feet  across,"  and  Tom  drew  down 
the  corners  of  his  mouth  soberly. 

"Oh,  Tom,  that's  the  worst  ever!"  cried  Sam. 

"You  ought  to  be  made  to  walk  home  for  that," 
advled  Dick. 

"Thomas!  Thomas!  you  are  as  bad  as  ever!" 
said  Mr.  Rover,  with  a  sigh.  "But  I  might  have 
been  on  my  guard.  I  know  there  are  no  pump 
kins  of  that  size." 

"Uncle  Randolph,  you'll  have  to  forgive  me," 
said  Tom,  putting  his  hand  affectionately  on  his 
relative's  shoulder.  "I  really  couldn't  help  it — 
I  am  just  bubbling  over  to  think  that  school  days 
are  over  and  I  won't  have  to  do  any  studying  for 
several  months  to  come." 


!6       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"I  fancy  we'll  have  to  tie  you  down  to  keep 
you  out  of  mischief." 

"You  won't  have  to  tie  me  down  if  I  go  on  a 
sea  trip  with  dad." 

"Haven't  you  had  sea  trips  enough — with  be 
ing  cast  away  in  the  middle  of  the  Pacific,  and 
being  wrecked  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico?  It  seems 
to  me  every  time  you  and  the  others  leave  home 
something  serious  happens  to  you." 

"True — but  we  always  come  back  tight  side 
up  with  care  and  all  charges  paid,"  answered  the 
fun-lovirrg  Rover  airily. 

They  soon  made  a  turn  in  the  road  which 
brought  them  in  sight  of  the  big  farmhouse,  nest 
ling  comfortably  in  a  group  of  stately  trees.  As 
they  turned  into  the  lane  their  Aunt  Martha  came 
to  the  front  piazza,  and  waved  her  hand.  Down 
in  the  roadway  stood  Jack  Ness,  the  hired  man, 
grinning  broadly,  and  behind  Mrs.  Rover  stood 
Alexander  Pop,  the  colored  helper,  his  mouth 
open  from  ear  to  ear.  At  once  Tom  began  to 
sing: 

"  Home  again  !   home  again ! 
Safe  from  Putnam  Hall." 

And  then  he  made  a  flying  leap  from  the  car 
riage,  rushed  up  the  steps  and  gave  his  aunt  such 
a  hug  as  made  her  gasp  for  breath. 


AN  IMPORTANT  TELEGRAM  17 

"Oh,  Tom,  you  bear!    Do  let  up!"  she  cried. 
"Now,  there's  a  kiss  for  you,  and  there's  another ! 
How  <*o  you  do,  Sam,  and  how  are  you,  Dick?" 
And  she  kissed  them  also.     "I  am  glad  you  are 
back    at    last."      She    turned    to    her    husband... 
"What  of  Anderson,  did  you  hear  anything?" 
"Yes,  he  will  be  back  in  a  few  days." 
"I'se  jess  too  pleased  fo'  anything  to  see  yo' 
boys  back  heah !"  came  from  Aleck  Pop.     "It's 
dun  been  mighty  lonely  since  yo'  went  away." 

"Don't  worry,  Aleck,  we'll  cheer  you  up,"  an 
swered  Tom. 

"Oh,  I  know  dat,  Massa  Tom — yo'll  turn  dis 
place  upside  down  in  two  days  suah !" 

"Why,  Aleck,  you  know  I'd  never  do  anything 
so  rash,"  answered  Tom,  meekly. 

"Going  to  uncover  some  more  freight  thieves?" 
asked  Jack  Ness,  as  he  took  charge  of  the  team 
and  started  for  the  barn. 

"I  think  dem  boys  had  bettah  cotch  some  of 
dem  chicken  thieves,"  put  in  Aleck  Pop.  "Yo* 
don't  seem  to  git  holt  ob  dem  nohow." 

"Oh,  never  you  mind  about  the  chicken 
thieves,"  grumbled  Jack  Ness. 

"Has  somebody  been  stealing  chickens  again?" 
asked  Dick,  remembering  that  they  had  suffered 
several  times  from  such  depradations. 

"Yes,  da  has — took  two  chickens  las'  Wednes- 


jg       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

day,  foah  on  Saturday,  an'  two  on  Monday. 
Jack  he  laid  fo'  'em  wid  a  shotgun,  but  he  didn't 
cotch  nobody." 

"I'll  catch  them  yet,  see  if  I  don't,"  said  the 
hired  man. 

"Perhaps  a  fox  is  doing  it,"  suggested  Sam. 
"If  so,  we  ought  to  go  on  a  fox  hunt.  That 
would  suit  me  first-rate." 

"No  fox  in  this,"  answered  Jack  Ness.  "I  see 
the  footprints  of  two  men, — tramps,  I  reckon. 
If  I  catch  sight  of  'em  I'll  fill  'em  full  of  shot 
and  then  have  'em  locked  up." 


CM:...  j~-v. 


CHAPTER   III 

FUN   ON  THE   FARM 

Two  days  passed  and  the  boys  feh  once  more 
at  home  on  the  farm.  The  strain  of  the  recent 
examinations  and  the  closing  exercises  at  school 
had  gone  and  as  Sam  declared,  "they  were  once 
more  themselves,"  and  ready  for  anything  that 
might  turn  up. 

In  those  two  days  came  another  telegram  from 
Mr.  Rover,  sent  from  Philadelphia,  in  which  he 
stated  that  he  had  caught  his  man,  but  had  lost 
him  again.  He  added  that  he  would  be  home 
probably  on  the  following  Sunday.  This  message 
came  in  on  Monday,  so  the  boys  knew  they  would 
have  to  wait  nearly  a  week  before  seeing  their 
I  parent. 

"I  am  just  dying  to  know  what  it  is  all  about," 
.said  Tom,  and  the  others  said  practically  the 
same. 

Tom  could  not  keep  down  his  propensities  for 
joking  and  nearly  drove  Sarah,  the  cook,  to  dis- 

19 


20       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

traction  by  putting  some  barn  mice  in  the  bread 
box  in  the  pantry  and  by  pouring  ink  over  some 
small  stones  and  then  adding  them  to  the  coal 
she  was  using  in  the  kitchen  range.  He  also  took 
a  piece  of  old  rubber  bicycle  tire  and  trimmed  it 
up  to  resemble  a  snake  and  put  it  in  Jack  Ness' 
bed  in  the  barn,  thereby  nearly  scaring  the  hired 
man  into  a  fit.  Ness  ran  out  of  the  room  in  his 
night  dress  and  raised  such  a  yell  that  he  aroused 
everybody  in  the  house.  He  got  his  shotgun  and 
blazed  away  at  the  supposed  snake,  thereby  ruin 
ing  a  blanket,  two  sheets,  and  filling  the  mattress 
with  shot.  When  he  found  out  how  he  had  been 
hoaxed  he  was  the  most  foolish  looking  man  to 
be  imagined. 

"You  just  wait,  Master  Tom,  I'll  get  square," 
he  said. 

"Who  said  I  put  a  snake  in  your  bed?"  de 
manded  Tom.  "I  never  did  such  a  thing  in  my 
life." 

"No,  but  you  put  that  old  rubber  in,  and  I 
know  it,"  grumbled  the  hired  man,  and  then  went 
back  to  bed. 

Tom  also  had  his  little  joke  on  Aleck  Pop. 
One  evening  he  saw  the  colored  man  dressing  up 
to  go  out  and  learned  that  he  was  going  to  call 
on  a  colored  widow  living  at  Dexter's  Corners,  a 
nearby  village. 


FUN  ON  THE  FARM  21 

"We  can't  allow  this,"  said  the  fun-loving 
Rover  to  his  younger  brother.  "The  next  thing 
you  know  Aleck  will  be  getting  married  and  leav 
ing  us." 

"What  do  you  think  of  doing?"  asked  Sam. 

"Come  on,  and  I'll  show  you." 

Now,  Aleck  was  rather  a  good  looking  and 
well-formed  darkey  and  he  was  proud  of  his 
shape.  He  had  a  fine  black  coat,  with  trousers 
to  match,  and  a  gorgeous  colored  vest.  This  suit 
Tom  was  certain  he  would  wear  when  calling  on 
the  widow. 

When  in  Ithaca  on  his  way  home  the  fun-lov 
ing  Rover  had  purchased  an  imitation  rabbit, 
made  of  thin  rubber.  This  rabbit  had  a  small 
rubber  hose  attached,  and  by  blowing  into  the 
hose  the  rabbit  could  be  blown  up  to  life-size  or 
larger. 

Leading  the  way  to  Aleck's  room,  Tom  got  out 
the  colored  man's  coat  and  placed  the  rubber  rab 
bit  in  the  middle  of  the  back,  between  the  cloth 
and  the  lining.  It  was  put  in  flat  and  the  hose 
was  allowed  to  dangk  down  under  the  lining  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  split  of  the  coat-tails,  and 
at  this  point  Tom  put  a  hole  in  the  lining,  so  he 
could  get  at  the  end  of  the  hose  with  ease. 

It  was  not  long  before  Aleck  came  in  to  dress. 
It  was  late  and  he  was  in  a  hurry,  for  he  knew 


22        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

he  had  a  rival,  a  man  named  Jim  Johnson,  and 
he  did  not  want  Johnson  to  get  to  the  widow's 
home  ahead  of  him.  He  washed  up  and  donned 
his  clothing  with  rapidity,  and  never  noticed  that 
anything  was  wrong  with  the  coat. 

"Now,  Sam,  you  fix  his  necktie  for  him," 
whispered  Tom,  who,  with  his  younger  brother, 
was  lying  in  wait  outside  the  house.  "Tell  him 
it  doesn't  set  just  straight." 

Sam  understood,  and  as  soon  as  Aleck  ap 
peared  he  sauntered  up  side  by  side  with  Tom. 

"Hullo,  Aleck,  going  to  see  your  best  girl?"  he 
said  pleasantly. 

"I'se  gwine  to  make  a  little  call,  dat's  all." 

"He's  after  the  widow  Taylor,"  put  in  Tom. 
"He  knows  she's  got  ten  thousand  or  so  in  the 
bank." 

"Massa  Tom,  you  dun  quit  yo'  foolin',"  ex 
postulated  Aleck. 

"If  you  are  going  to  make  a  society  call  you 
want  your  necktie  on  straight,"  said  Sam.  "It's 
a  fine  tie,  but  it's  no  good  the  way  you  have  it 
tied.  Here,  let  me  fix  it,"  and  he  pulled  the  tie 
loose. 

"I  did  hab  a  lot  ob  trubble  wid  dat  tie,"  agreed 
the  colored  man. 

"It's  too  far  around,"  went  on  Sam,  and  gave 
the  tie  a  jerk,  first  one  way  and  another.  Then 


FUN  ON  THE  FARM  23 

he  began  to  tie  it,  shoving  Aleck  again  as  he  did 
so. 

In  the  meantime  Tom  had  gotten  behind  the 
colored  man  and  was  blowing  up  the  rubber  rab 
bit.  As  the  rubber  expanded  Aleck's  coat  went 
up  with  it,  until  it  looked  as  if  the  man  was 
humpbacked.  Then  Tom  fastened  the  hose,  so 
the  wind  could  not  get  out  of  it.  Next  the 
youth  brought  out  a  bit  of  chalk  and  in  big  let 
ters  wrote  on  the  black  coat  as  follows : 

7  have  got  to 

HUMP 

to  catch  the 

widow. 

"Now  your  tie  is  something  like,"  declared 
Sam,  after  a  wink  from  Tom.  "It  outshines 
everything  I  ever  saw." 

"I'se  got  to  be  a-going,"  answered  Aleck. 
"Much  obliged." 

"Now,  Aleck,  hump  yourself  and  you'll  get  the 
widow  sure — along  with  her  fourteen  children." 

"She  ain't  got  but  two  children,"  returned  the 
colored  man,  and  hurried  away.  His  appearance, 
with  the  hump  on  his  back  and  the  sign,  caused 
both  the  Rovers  to  burst  out  laughing. 

"Come  on,  I've  got  to  see  the  end  of  this,"  said 


24       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Tom,  and  led  the  way  by  a  side  path  to  the 
Widow  Taylor's  cottage.  This  was  a  short  cut, 
but  Aleck  would  not  take  it,  because  of  the  briar 
bushes  and  the  dust.  As  the  boys  were  in  their 
knockaround  suits  they  did  not  mind  this. 

The  widow's  cottage  was  a  tumbled-down 
affair  on  a  side  street  of  Dexter's  Corners.  A 
stovepipe  stuck  out  of  a  back  window,  and  the 
front  door  lacked  the  lower  hinge.  In  the  front 
yard  the  weeds  were  several  feet  high. 

"I  don't  see  why  Aleck  wants  to  come  and  see 
such  a  person  as  this,"  observed  Sam.  "She 
may  be  pretty,  as  colored  widows  go,  but  she  is 
certainly  lazy  and  shiftless." 

"Yes,  and  she  has  more  than  two  children  and 
I  know  it.  Why,  once  I  came  past  here  and  I 
saw  her  with  at  least  seven  or  eight." 

When  the  boys  came  up  they  saw  several  col 
ored  children  hurrying  away  from  the  house.  As 
they  did  this  the  widow  came  to  the  door  and 
called  after  them: 

"Now,  Arabella,  go  to  the  cemetery,  jest  as  I 
tole  yo',  an'  stay  thar!" 

"I  ain't  gwine  to  stay  long,"  answered  Ara 
bella. 

"You  stay  an  hour  or  two,"  answered  the 
widow.  "To-morrow,  I'll  give  yo'  money  fer 
lolly-pops." 


FUN  ON  THE  FARM  25 

"What  is  she  sending  the  children  to  the  cem 
etery  for?"  asked  Tom,  in  a  whisper. 

"Maybe  to  keep  'em  quiet,"  answered  Sam, 
with  a  grin. 

"Must  be  wanting  to  keep  them  out  of  Aleck's 
way." 

At  that  moment  the  figure  of  a  tall,  lanky  col 
ored  man  came  down  a  side  street.  The  man  en 
tered  the  widow's  cottage  and  received  a  warm 
welcome. 

"Glad  to  see  you,  Mistah  Thomas.  Hopes  yo1 
is  feelin'  fine  this  ebenin',"  said  the  widow  gra* 
ciously. 

"I'se  come  fo'  to  make  yo'  an  offah,"  said  Mr. 
Thomas.  "Yo'  said  yo'  would  mahrry  me  soon 
as  I  had  a  job.  Well,  I'se  got  de  job  now." 

"Is  it  a  steady  job?" 

"Yes,  at  de  stone  quarry — dribin'  a  stone 
wagon." 

"How  much  yo'  gits  a  week,  Peter?" 

"Twelve  dollahs,"  was  the  proud  answer. 

"Den  I  closes  wid  you,"  said  the  widow,  and 
allowed  the  suitor  to  embrace  her. 

Just  then  Aleck  came  in  sight.  As  he  saw  the 
couple  through  the  open  door  he  straightened  up. 

"Maybe  yo'  didn't  look  fo'  me  around,  Mrs. 
Taylor,"  he  said,  stiffly. 

"Oh,    yes,    I    did,    Mistah    Pop,"    she    said, 


26       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

sweetly.      "But   yo'   see — I — dat   is "      She 

stopped  short.     "Wot's  dat?"  she  cried. 

"Wot?" 

"Dat  hump  on  yo'  back  ?" 

"Ain't  no  hump  on  my  back,"  answered  Aleck 

"Suah  da  is." 

"He's  got  a  sign  on,  too,"  put  in  Peter  Thomas. 
"Look  wot  it  reads,  'I  hab  got  to  hump  to  cotch 
de  widow.'  Hah!  hah!  hah!  Dot's  a  good  one." 

"Yo'  needn't  hump  yo'self  to  cotch  me,"  cried 
the  widow,  wrathfully.  "I'se  engaged  to  Mistah 
Thomas."  And  she  smiled  on  the  individual  in 
question. 

Crestfallen  and  bewildered,  Aleck  felt  of  his 
back  and  took  off  his  coat.  He  squeezed  the  rub 
ber  rabbit  so  hard  that  it  exploded  with  a  bangr 
scaring  himself  and  the  others. 

"Dat's  a  trick  on  me!"  roared  the  Rover's  man, 
and  tore  the  rabbit  from  his  coat.  "Dem  boys 
did  dat!" 

"I  can't  see  yo'  to-night,  or  any  udder  night,? 
Mistah  Pop,"  said  the  widow.     "I'se  engaged  to 
Mistah  Thomas." 

"Den  good-night,"  growled  Aleck,  and  turn 
ing  on  his  heel  he  started  for  home. 

Tom  and  Sam  saw  that  he  was  angry,  yet 
they  had  to  roar  at  the  scene  presented.  They 


FUN  ON  THE  FARM  27 

wondered  what  Aleck  would  say  when  he  got 
back  to  the  farm. 

"We  have  got  to  square  ourselves,"  sard  Tom. 

"How  are  you  going  to  do  it?" 

"Oh,  we'll  do  it  somehow." 

They  took  the  short-cut,  but  so  did  Aleck,  and 
consequently  all  three  soon  met. 

"Yo'  played  dat  joke — yo'  can't  go  fo'  to  deny 
it !"  cried  the  colored  man. 

"We  are  not  going  to  deny  it,  Aleck,"  said 
Tom.  "But  it  was  no  joke.  We  did  it  for  your 
good." 

"Huh!" 

"We  certainly  did,"  put  in  Sam.  "Why, 
Aleck,  we  can't  bear  to  think  of  your  getting 
married  and  leaving  us." 

"Huh!" 

"We  want  you  to  stay  with  us,"  said  Tom. 
"Besides,  that  widow  has  a  lot  of  children  and  is 
after  your  money." 

"She  ain't  got  but  two  chillen.  She  had  moah, 
but  she  dun  told  me  all  but  two  was  in  de  semi 
nary." 

"The  seminary?"  queried  Tom.  Then  a  light 
broke  in  on  him.  "You  mean  the  cemetery." 

"Persjvckiy — de  place  da  puts  de  dead  folks," 

"Well,  they  are  in  the  cemetery  right  enough 
— but  they  are  a  long  way  from  being  dead." 


28       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Wot  yo'  mean,  Tom?" 

"We  saw  her  send  five  of  them  away  this  even 
ing — she  told  'em  to  go  to  the  cemetery  and  stay 
there  awhile." 

"Wot!    Yo'  is  fooling  dis  chile!" 

"It  is  absolutely  true,"  said  Sam.  "I  am  quite 
sure  she  has  seven  children." 

"Huh!  If  dat's  de  case  dat  Thomas  nigger 
can  hab  her,"  grumbled  Aleck,  and  walked  on. 
"But  I  ain't  takin'  yo'  word  fo'  dis,"  he  added 
cautiously.  'Tse  gwine  to  make  a  few  investi 
gations  to-morrow." 

"Do  so — and  you'll  thank  us  from  the  bottom 
of  your  heart,"  answered  Tom ;  and  there  the 
subject  was  dropped.  It  may  be  added  here  that 
later  on  Aleck  discovered  that  the  widow  had 
ten  children  and  was  head  over  heels  in  debt,  and 
he  was  more  than  glad  that  the  boys  had  played 
the  trick  on  him,  and  that  the  other  colored  man 
had  gained  Mrs.  Taylor's  hand. 


CHAPTER   IV 

A    MIDNIGHT   SEARCH 

mght  was  destined  to  be  an  eventful  one 
on  the  Rover  farm.  Arriving  home,  Sam  and 
Tom  told  of  the  fun  they  had  had  and  Dick 
laughed  heartily.  Then  all  three  of  the  boys 
went  to  bed. 

About  midnight  came  a  loud  shouting  from 
the  barn,  followed  by  the  report  of  a  shotgun. 
This  was  followed  by  a  shriek  from  Sarah,  the 
cook,  who  was  afraid  that  burglars  had  come  to- 
murder  her. 

"What's  that?"  questioned  Dick,  as  he  hopped 
out  of  bed. 

"That's  Jack  Ness'  gun,"  answered  Tom. 
"Something  must  be  wrong  at  the  barn." 

"Chicken  thieves  again — I'll  bet  a  new  hat,"' 
said  Sam. 

By  this  time  Randolph  Rover  and  his  wife 
were  up  and  were  lighting  a  lamp.  Without  wait 
ing  for  them,  the  boys  slipped  on  some  clothing 

29 


30       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

and  their  shoes  and  ran  downstairs.  Dick  took 
with  him  a  pistol  and  each  of  the  others  a  base 
ball  bat. 

"Boys!  boys!  be  careful!"  shouted  their  uncle 
after  them. 

"All  right,"  returned  Dick,  readily. 

He  was  the  first  outside,  but  Sam  and  Tom 
were  close  upon  his  heels.  He  heard  Jack  Ness 
running  to  the  edge  of  a  cornfield,  shouting  lust 
ily.  Then  came  another  report  of  the  shotgun. 

"What  is  it,  Jack?"  shouted  Dick.  "Who  are 
you  shooting  at?" 

"I'm  after  two  men,"  was  the  hired  man's  re 
ply.  "They  jest  run  into  the  cornfield." 

"Chicken  thieves?"  queried  Tom. 

"I  guess  so — anyway  they  was  prowlin'  around 
the  hen  house  an'  the  barn.  I  called  an'  asked 
'em  what  they  wanted  and  they  ran  for  dear  life 
— so  I  knew  they  was  up  to  no  good." 

"They  certainly  must  have  been  chicken 
thieves,  or  worse,"  was  Sam's  comment.  "Really, 
this  is  getting  to  be  too  much,"  he  added.  "We 
ought  to  catch  them  and  have  them  locked  up.5* 

"I'm  willing  to  go  after  them,"  answered  Tom, 
readily. 

"Did  you  get  a  good  look  at  the  rascals?" 
asked  Dick. 

"Not  very  good,"  answered  Jack  Ness. 


A  MIDNIGHT  SEARCH  3* 

"They  weren't  boys,  were  they?" 

"No — they  were  men — both  tall  and  heavy  fel 
lows." 

"Did  you  ever  see  them  before?"  asked  Tom. 

"Not  that  I  can  remember." 

While  they  were  talking  the  party  of  four  had 
run  down  to  the  edge  of  the  cornfield.  This  spot 
was  really  a  peach  orchard,  but  the  trees  were 
still  so  small  that  the  ground  was  being  utilized 
that  season  for  corn,  planted  in  rows  between  the 
trees.  The  corn  was  not  yet  full  grown,  but  it 
was  high  enough  to  conceal  a  man  lying  flat  or 
crouching  down. 

The  sky  was  filled  with  stars  and  the  old  moon 
was  beginning  to  show  over  the  hills  beyond  the 
valley,  so  it  was  fairly  light  across  the  field.  The 
boys  kept  their  eyes  on  the  corn  and  the  peach 
trees,  but  failed  to  discover  any  persons  moving 
among  them. 

"My  shotgun  is  empty — maybe  I  had  better  go 
back  and  load  up,"  said  the  hired  man. 

"Yes,  do  it,  but  hurry  up,"  answered  Dick. 
"I'll  stay  here  on  guard  with  the  pistol." 

The  hired  man  ran  off  toward  the  barn. 
Hardly  had  he  disappeared  when  Sam  gave  a 
short  cry  and  pointed  into  the  field  with  his  hand. 

"I  saw  somebody  raise  up  just  now  and  look 
around,"  he  said.  "He  is  out  of  sight  now." 


32       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Where?"  came  from  Dick  and  Tom  quickly. 

"Over  yonder — by  the  twisted  peach  tree." 

"I'll  investigate,"  said  Dick.  "You  can  come 
along  if  you  want  to.  Keep  your  eyes  open  for 
both  men.  We  don't  want  either  to  get  away  if 
we  can  help  it." 

The  three  lads  spread  out  in  something  of  a 
semi-circle  and  advanced  slowly  into  the  field, 
keeping  their  eyes  and  ears  on  the  alert  for  any 
thing  out  of  the  ordinary.  Thus  they  covered 
fifty  yards,  when  Tom  found  himself  near  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  peach  trees.  As  he  passed 
this  a  form  arose  quickly  from  under  a  bough, 
caught  him  by  the  waist  and  threw  him  forcibly 
to  the  ground. 

"Hi!"  yelled  Tom.  "Let  up!"  And  then  he 
made  a  clutch  for  his  assailant,  catching  him  by 
the  foot.  But  the  man  broke  away  and  went 
crashing  through  the  corn,  calling  on  "Shelley" 
to  follow  him. 

The  yell  from  Tom  attracted  the  attention  of 
Dick  and  Sam,  and  they  turned  to  learn  what  had 
happened  to  their  brother.  As  they  did  this  a 
.second  man  leaped  up  from  the  corn  in  front  of 
them  and  started  to  run  in  the  direction  of  the 
river. 

"Stop!"  called  out  Dick.     "Stop,  or  I'll  fire 


A  MIDNIGHT  SEARCH  33 

on  you !"  And  then  he  discharged  his  pistol  into 
the  air  as  a  warning.  The  man  promptly  dodged 
behind  a  row  of  peach  trees,  but  kept  on  running 
as  hard  as  ever. 

The  Rover  boys  were  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
and  all  three  started  in  pursuit  of  the  two  men. 
They  saw  the  fellows  leave  the  field  and  hurry 
down  a  lane  leading  to  Swift  River. 

"I  believe  they  are  going  to  the  river.  Maybe 
they  have  a  boat,"  said  Tom. 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,"  answered  Dick. 

"I  wish  they  would  take  to  a  boat,"  said  Sam. 
"We  could  follow  them  easily — in  Dan  Bailey's 
boat." 

"Hi,  where  are  you?"  came  a  shout  from  be 
hind,  and  they  saw  Jack  Ness  returning.  "Youf 
uncle  and  aunt  want  you  to  be  careful — they  are 
afraid  those  villains  will  shoot  you." 

"We'll  be  careful,"  answered  Tom.  "But  we 
are  going  to  capture  them  if  it  can  be  done,"  he 
added,  sturdily. 

The  hired  man  had  reloaded  the  shotgun  and 
also  brought  some  additional  ammunition  with 
him.  He  was  nervous  and  the  boys  could  read 
ily  see  that  he  did  not  relish  continuing  the  pur 
suit. 

"We  can't  do  nothin'  in  the  dark,"  he  grum 
bled.  "Let  us  wait  till  morning." 


34       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"No,  I  am  going  after  them  now,"  answered 
Dick,  decidedly. 

"So  am  I,"  added  Sam  and  Tom. 

They  were  going  forward  as  rapidly  as  the 
semi-darkness  would  permit.  The  ground  was 
more  or  less  uncertain,  and  once  the  youngest 
Rover  went  into  a  mud  hole,  splashing  the  mud 
up  into  Jack  Ness'  face. 

"Hi,  stop  that!"  spluttered  the  hired  man. 
""Want  to  put  my  eye  out?" 

"Excuse  me,  Jack,  I  didn't  see  the  hole,"  an 
swered  Sam. 

"It  ain't  safe  to  walk  here  in  the  dark — some 
body  might  break  a  leg." 

"If  you  want  to  go  back  you  can  do  so,"  put  in 
Dick.  "Give  Tom  the  shotgun." 

"Oh — er — I'm  goin'  if  you  be,"  answered  Jack 
Ness.  He  was  ashamed  to  let  them  know  how 
much  of  a  coward  he  really  was. 

It  was  quite  a  distance  to  Swift  River,  which 

at  this  point  ran  among  a  number  of  stately  wil- 

,lows.    As  the  boys  gained  the  water's  edge  they 

saw  a  boat  putting  out  not  a  hundred  feet  away. 

j     "There  they  are!"  cried  Dick. 

"Stop!"  yelled  Tom.  "Stop,  unless  you  want 
to  be  shot !" 

"We'll  do  a  littk  shooting  ourselves  if  you  are 
not  careful !"  came  back  in  a  harsh  voice. 


A  MIDNIGHT  SEARCH  35 

"Take  care!  Take  care!"  cried  Jack  Ness,  in 
terror,  and  ran  to  hide  behind  a  handy  tree. 

The  two  men  in  the  boat  were  putting  down 
the  stream  with  all  speed.  The  current,  always 
strong,  soon  carried  them  around  a  bend  and  out 
of  sight. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  boys  were  in  a 
quandary.  They  did  not  wish  to  give  up  the 
chase,  yet  they  realized  that  the  escaping  men 
might  be  desperate  characters  and  ready  to  put 
up  a  hard  fight  if  cornered. 

"Jack,  I  think  you  had  better  run  over  to  the 
Ditwold  house  and  tell  them  what  is  up,"  said 
Dick,  after  a  moment's  thought.  "Tell  Ike  and 
Joe  we  are  going  to  follow  in  Dan  Bailey's  boat." 
The  Ditwolds  were  neighboring  farmers  and  Ike 
and  Joe  were  strong  young  men  ever  ready  to 
lend  a  hand  in  time  of  trouble. 

"All  right,"  answered  the  hired  man,  and  set 
off,  first,  however,  turning  his  firearm  over  to 
Tom. 

The  three  Rover  boys  were  well  acquainted 
with  the  river,  and  had  had  more  than  one  adven 
ture  on  its  swiftly-flowing  waters,  as  my  old 
readers  know.  They  skirted  a  number  of  the 
willows  and  came  to  a  small  creek,  where  they 
found  Dan  Bailey's  craft  tied  to  a  stake.  But 


36       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

there  were  no  oars,  and  they  gazed  at  one  an 
other  in  dismay. 

"We  might  have  known  it,"  said  Dick,  in  dis 
gust.  "He  always  takes  the  oars  up  to  the  barn 
with  him." 

The  barn  was  a  good  distance  off  and  none  of 
the  boys  relished  running  that  far  for  oars.  More 
than  this,  they  felt  that  by  the  time  the  oars  were 
brought  the  other  craft  would  be  out  of  sight 
and  hearing,  and  thus  the  trail  of  the  midnight 
prowlers  would  be  lost. 

"Here  is  a  bit  of  board,"  said  Sam,  searching 
around.  "Let  us  use  that  for  a  paddle.  The  cur 
rent  will  carry  us  almost  as  swiftly  as  if  we  were 
rowing.  The  main  thing  will  be  to  keep  out  of 
the  way  of  the  rocks." 

"I  wish  those  chaps  would,  run  on  the  rocks 
and  smash  their  boat  to  bits,"  grumbled  Tom, 
who  had  gotten  a  stone  in  his  loose  shoe  and  was 
consequently  limping. 

The  boys  shoved  the  rowboat  from  the  creek 
to  the  river  and  leaped  in.  Dick,  being  the  largest 
and  strongest,  took  the  board  and  using  it  as  a 
sweep,  sent  the  craft  well  out  where  the  current 
could  catch  it.  Down  the  stream  went  the  boat,, 
with  Sam  in  the  middle  and  Tom  in  the  stern. 
There  was  no  rudder,  so  they  had  to  depend  en 
tirely  upon  Dick,  who  stood  up  near  the  bow, 


A  MIDNIGHT  SEARCH 


37 


peering   ahead    for   rocks,   of   which   the   river 
boasted  a  great  number. 

"Those  fellows  must  know  this  river,"  re 
marked  Sam,  as  he  started  to  lace  his  shoes,  there 
being  nothing  else  just  then  to  do. 

"They  ought  to — if  they  are  the  fellows  who 
visited  our  henhouse  before,"  answered  Tom. 
"Dick,  can  you  see  them?" 

"No,  but  I  know  they  must  be  ahead." 

"Perhaps  they  went  ashore — just  to  fool  us." 

"They  couldn't  get  ashore  here  very  well — it  is 
too  rocky,  you  know  that  as  well  as  I  do. 
Listen!" 

They  listened,  but  the  only  sound  that  broke 
the  stillness  was  the  distant  roar  of  Humpback 
Falls,  where  Sam  had  once  had  such  a  thrilling 
adventure,  as  related  in  "The  Rover  Boys  at 
School."  Even  now,  so  long  afterward,  it  made 
the  youngest  Rover  shiver  to  think  of  that  hap 
pening. 

A  minute  later  the  boat  came  clear  of  the  tree 
shadows  and  the  boys  saw  a  long  stretch  ahead 
of  them,  shimmering  like  silver  in  the  moon 
beams.  Sam,  looking  in  the  direction  of  the 
opposite  shore,  made  out  a  rowboat  moving 
thither. 

"There  they  are !"  he  cried. 

At  once  Dick  essayed  to  turn  their  own  craft 


38       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

in  that  direction.  But  with  only  a  bit  of  a  board 
for  a  paddle,  and  with  the  current  tearing  along 
wildly,  this  was  not  easy.  The  rowboat  was 
turned  partly,  but  then  scraped  some  rocks,  and 
they  were  in  dire  peril  of  upsetting. 

"I  see  where  they  are  going !"  cried  Tom.  "To 
the  old  Henderson  miH." 

"We'll  have  to  land  below  that  point,"  said  his 
oldest  brother.  "If  I  try  to  get  in  there  with 
only  this  board  I'll  hit  the  rocks  sure." 

"They  are  taking  chances,  even  with  oars," 
was  Sam's  comment.  "See,  they  have  struck 
some  rocks !" 

He  was  right,  and  the  Rovers  saw  the  boat 
ahead  spin  around  and  the  two  men  leap  to  their 
feet  in  alarm.  But  then  the  craft  steadied  itself, 
and  a  moment  later  shot  into  the  shadows  of  the 
trees  beside  the  old  flour  mill. 

It  was  not  until  five  minutes  later  that  Dick 
was  able  to  guide  their  own  rowboat  to  the  shore 
upon  which  the  mill  was  located.  They  hit  sev 
eral  rocks,  but  at  last  came  in  where  there  was  a 
sandy  stretch.  All  leaped  out,  and  the  craft  was 
hauled  up  to  a  point  out  of  the  current's  reach. 

"Now  to  get  back  to  the  mill  as  soon  as  pos 
sible,  and  corner  those  fellows  if  we  can,"  said 
Tom,  and  without  delay  the  three  Rover  boys 
started  through  the  woods  in  the  direction  of 
the  spot  where  the  two  men  had  landed. 


CHAPTER   V 

AT  THE  OLD   MILL 

THE  Henderson  mill  was  now  largely  s\/  only 
in  name.  So  far  back  as  the  Rover  boys  could 
remember,  it  had  been  a  tenantless  structure  go 
ing  slowly  to  decay.  The  water  wheel  was  gone, 
and  so  were  the  grinding  stones,  and  the  roof 
and  sides  were  full  of  holes.  Henderson,  the 
owner,  had  years  ago  fallen  heir  to  a  fortune,  and 
had  moved  away,  leaving  the  building  at  the 
mercy  of  the  tramps  who  frequently  stopped 
there. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  climb  around  or  over 
the  rocks  which  lay  between  the  boys  and  the  old 
mill,  and  the  darkness  under  the  thick  trees  was 
intense.  They  felt  their  way  along  slowly,  and 
fTom  was  careful  to  carry  the  shotgun  with  the 
,  barrel  pointed  downward,  that  there  might  be 
no  accident. 

"More  than  likely  those  fellows  have  been  put 
ting  up  at  the  old  mill,"  said  Dick. 

39 


40       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"They'll  leave  now — if  they  think  we  are  com 
ing,"  answered  Sam. 

"Let  us  keep  quiet,"  put  in  Tom.  "If  they 
hear  us  talking  they  will  surely  skip  out." 

After  that  but  little  was  said.  Foot  by  foot 
they  drew  closer  to  the  delapidated  structure,  un 
til  it  loomed  up  dimly  before  them.  Then  Dick 
motioned  for  the  others  to  halt. 

With  bated  breath  the  boys  listened.  At  first 
they  heard  little  but  the  rushing  of  the  water 
over  the  rocks.  Then  came  a  sudden  cracking 
of  a  rotten  floor  board,  followed  by  an  exclama 
tion. 

"Confound  the  luck !  I've  put  my  foot  through 
the  floor  again,"  growled  a  man's  voice.  "Shel 
ley,  why  don't  you  light  the  lantern?  Do  you 
want  me  to  break  my  neck?" 

"If  I  light  the  lantern  the  Rovers  may  come 
here,"  was  the  answer  from  the  man  called  Shel 
ley. 

"Oh,  they  went  down  the  river — I  saw  them." 

"They  may  have  turned  in  nearby." 

Some  more  words  followed,  but  spoken  so 
low  that  the  boys  could  not  understand  them. 
They  heard  a  faint  creaking  of  the  flooring  of 
the  old  mill,  but  that  was  all. 

"They   are  there,   that's   certain,"   whispered 


AT  THE  OLD  MILL  4! 

Dick.  "But  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to 
capture  them  in  this  darkness." 

"I  wish  we  had  a  lantern,"  said  the  youngest 
Rover. 

"We  wouldn't  dare  to  light  it,  Sam,"  an 
swered  Tom.  "Let  us  crawl  up  close  to  the  build 
ing.  Maybe  we  can  find  out  something  more 
about  the  men.  They  may  be  some  good-for- 
nothing  fellows  from  the  village." 

As  there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do,  this  advice 
was  followed,  and  soon  the  boys  were  at  one  of 
the  broken-out  windows  of  the  mill.  They 
listened  and  looked  inside,  but  saw  and  heard 
nothing. 

"They  are  not  here,"  whispered  Sam,  disap 
pointedly. 

"They  are  not  far  off,"  answered  his  big 
brother  confidantly. 

"Look!"  came  from  Tom.     "A  light!" 

He  pointed  through  the  window  to  the  flooring 
inside.  From  between  the  loose  boards  shone 
several  streaks  of  light.  As  the  boys  gazed  the 
light  vanished  and  all  was  as  dark  as  before. 

"They  are  in  the  lower  room,  the  one  where 
the  water-wheel  used  to  be,"  whispered  Tom. 
"Maybe  that  is  where  they  have  been  hanging 
out." 

"Come  after  me — but  don't  make  any  noise,'1 


42       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

said  Dick,  cautiously.  "If  they  have  gone  into 
the  second  room  down  there  maybe  we  can  make 
them  prisoners!" 

"That's    the    idea!"    cried    Sam.      "Just    the. 
thing!" 

"Hush,  Sam,  or  you'll  spoil  all."  t 

Scarcely  daring  to  breathe,  now  that  they  knew 
the  strange  men  were  so  close,  the  three  Rover 
boys  walked  to  the  open  doorway  of  the  old  mill 
and  went  inside.  Dick  led  the  way  and  crossed 
to  where  an  enclosed  stairs  ran  to  the  floor  below. 
On  tiptoes  he  went  down,  not  trusting  a  step 
until  he  was  sure  of  his  footing.  It  was  well  he 
did  this,  for  two  of  the  steps  were  entirely  rotted 
away,  and  he  had  to  warn  his  brothers,  otherwise 
one  or  another  might  have  had  a  fall. 

Standing  in  the  wheel  room  of  the  old  mill  the 
boys  saw  another  streak  of  light,  coming  from 
the  room  which  Dick  had  suggested.  The  door 
to  this  was  closed,  a  bolt  on  the  inner  side  hold 
ing  it  in  place.  There  was  another  bolt  on  the 
outside,  which  Dick  remembered  having  seen  on 
a  previous  visit. 

"We  can  lock  them  in  if  we  wish,"  he  whis 
pered. 

"Do  it,"  answered  his  brothers  promptly. 

The  bolt  was  large  and  old-fashioned,  and  Dick 
had  considerable  trouble  in  moving  k  into  its 


AT  THE  OLD  MILL  43 

socket.  It  made  a  rasping  sound,  but  this  was  not 
noticed  by  the  two  men,  who  were  conversing 
earnestly. 

"Well,  we  made  a  mess  of  it,"  growled  the 
man  called  Shelley. 

"So  we  did.  But  I  didn't  think  that  hired  man 
would  wake  up.  Neither  of  us  made  a  bit  of 
noise.  He  must  be  a  light  sleeper." 

"I  only  hope  they  think  we  were  after  chick 
ens,  Cuffer.  If  they  knew  the  truth "  The 

man  named  Shelley  broke  off  with  a  coarse 
laugh. 

"Well,  we  got  chickens  the  other  night,  didn't 
we?"  and  now  the  man  called  Cuffer  laughed 
also.  "But  say,  this  is  getting  serious,"  he  went 
on  presently.  "Merrick  expects  us  to  do  this  job 
for  him  and  do  it  quick,  and  he  won't  like  it  at 
all  when  he  finds  out  how  we  have  missed  it." 

"We  can't  do  the  impossible.  Those  Rover*' 
are  too  wideawake  for  us." 

"They  certainly  were  too  wideawake  for  Mer 
rick  in  that  traction  company  bond  matter.  He 
wa>  a  chump  not  to  sell  those  bonds  as  soon  as 
he  got  hold  of  them." 

"He  didn't  dare — he  was  afraid  the  market 
was  being  watched." 

"What  does  he  want  of  those  papers,  anyway?" 

"I  don't  know  exactly.    But  you  know  what  he 


44 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 


said — there  would  be  a  small  fortune  in  it  for  us 
if  we  got  'em.  He  says  he's  got  some  papers — 
or  a  map  I  guess  it  is — but  he  wants  these  pa 
pers,  too.  He  didn't  dare  show  himself  around 
here — you  know  the  reason  why." 

"Sure — those  Rovers  would  recognize  him, 
even  if  he  tried  to  disguise  himself." 

Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  listened  to  this  conversa 
tion  with  keenest  interest  and  amazement.  These 
men  had  mentioned  the  name  of  Sid  Merrick,  the 
rascal  who  had  in  the  past  tried  so  hard  to  ha.rm 
them  and  who  had  up  to  the  present  time  escaped 
the  clutches  of  the  law.  Evidently  they  were  in 
league  with  Merrick  and  under  his  directions. 

"We  must  capture  those  fellows  by  all  means," 
whispered  Tom,  excitedly.  "If  we  do,  maybe  we 
can  find  out  where  Merrick  is." 

"Yes,  and  Tad  Sobber,  too,"  added  Sam,  who 
had  not  forgotten  the  poisonous  snake  episode  at 
Putnam  Hall. 

"They  weren't  after  chickens — that  was  only  a 
blind,"  said  Dick.    "They  want  to  get  something 
from    the    house — some    papers    that    Merrick 
wants." 
,     "They  must  be  valuable,"  said  Sam. 

"Father  has  all  sorts  of  valuable  papers,"  went 
on  Tom.  "Bonds,  deeds  to  mining  properties, 


AT  THE  OLD  MILL  45 

and  such.  But  I  thought  he  had  the  most  of  those 
in  a  safe  deposit  vault  in  the  city." 

"So  he  has,"  answered  Dick.  "Maybe  these 
fellows  would  be  fooled  even  if  they  got  into 
Uncle  Randolph's  house.  They Listen!" 

Shelley  and  Cuffer  had  begun  to  talk  again. 
They  mentioned  a  tramp  steamer  called  the 
Josephine,  and  Shelley  said  she  was  now  in  port 
being  repaired.  Then  the  conversation  drifted  to 
sporting  matters,  and  Cuffer  told  how  he  had 
lost  a  hundred  dollars  on  a  prize  fight. 

"That's  why  I'm  here,"  he  added.  "And  I 
want  some  money  the  next  time  I  see  Sid  Mer- 
rick." 

"He  won't  give  us  any  unless  we "  said 

Shelley,  and  the  boys  did  not  hear  the  end  of 
the  sentence,  for  the  speaker  tried  the  door  as 
he  spoke,  throwing  the  inner  bolt  back.  Of  course 
with  the  outer  bolt  in  place,  the  door  refused  to 
budge.  The  boys  drew  back,  and  Tom  raised  the 
shotgun  and  Dick  his  pistol. 

"The  door  is  caught!"  cried  Shelley,  and 
pushed  on  it  as  hard  as  he  could. 

"What!"  exclaimed  Cuffer  and  leaped  forward. 
He,  too,  tried  to  move  the  barrier.  "This  is  a 
trick !  Somebody  has  bolted  the  door  on  the  out 
side." 

"Was  there  a  bolt  there?" 


46       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Yes,  a  heavy  one,  too." 

"Then  somebody  has  trapped  us!" 

"Open  that  door!"  sang  out  Cuffer,  before  his 
companion  could  stop  him. 

"We  are  not  going  to  open  that  door,"  an 
swered  Dick,  in  an  equally  loud  voice.  "We 
have  got  you  fast  and  we  intend  to  keep  you  so." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"I  am  Dick  Rover,  and  my  two  brothers  are 
with  me.  We  are  well  armed,  and  we'll  shoot  if 
you  try  to  break  that  door  down." 

"Caught!"  cried  Shelley  in  a  rage,  and  then 
uttered  several  exclamations  under  his  breath. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Cuffer, 
after  a  moment  of  silence. 

"Hold  you  prisoners  until  we  can  get  help  and 
then  turn  you  over  to  the  officers  of  the  law." 

"We  haven't  done  anything  wrong." 

"That  remains  to  be  seen." 

"You  haven't  any  right  to  lock  us  in  here." 

"Then  we  take  the  right,"  answered  Tom 
grimly. 

"Let  us  smash  the  door  down,"  came  in  a  low 
,tone  from  inside  the  room. 

"If  you  try  it  we'll  surely  fire,"  said  Dick,  and 
cocked  his  pistol  so  the  men  might  hear  the  click. 
Tom  did  the  same  with  the  shotgun. 

"See  here,  you  let  us  out  and  we'll  make  it  all 


AT  THE  OLD  MILL  ^ 

right  with  you,"  remarked  Shelley,  after  another 
pause.  "We  are  not  the  bad  fellows  you  take  us 
1  to  be.  We  were  only  going  to  play  a  joke,  that's 
ail." 

"I  suppose  you  think  Sid  Merrick's  doings  are 
a  joke,  too,"  said  Sam,  before  he  had  time  to 
think  twice. 

"Ha!  what  do  you  know  of  Merrick?"  ejacu 
lated  Cuffer.  "They  must  have  been  listening  to 
our  talk,"  he  added,  in  a  low  tone  to  his  com 
panion. 

"Yes,  and  if  so,  we  are  in  a  bad  box,"  an 
swered  Shelley.  "I'd  give  a  good  deal  to  be  out 
of  here  just  now." 

"Talk  to  them,  while  I  take  a  look  around/* 
continued  Cuffer,  struck  by  a  sudden  idea. 

Shelley  did  as  told,  pleading  with  the  three 
Rovers  to  let  him  -go  and  offering  to  pay  fifty 
dollars  for  his  liberty.  He  talked  in  a  loud  tone, 
to  cover  up  what  noise  his  companion  might 
make.  The  boys  listened,  but  refused  to  open  the 
door  until  some  sort  of  help  should  arrive,  or 
until  morning  came. 

"Sam,  you  go  outside  and  see  if  Jack  and  the 
Ditwolds  are  anywhere  around,"  said  Dick,  and 
the  youngest  Rover  departed  immediately. 

Presently  Tom  and  Dick  heard  Cuffer  give  a 
of  pain. 


48       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"You've  stepped  on  my  sore  toe!"  howled  the 
man.  "Phew!  how  it  hurts!" 

The  two  men  talked  about  the  hurt  toe  for  sev 
eral  minutes.  Then  their  voices  suddenly  ceased. 
Tom  and  Dick  strained  their  ears,  but  could  hear 
absolutely  nothing. 

"They  must  be  up  to  some  trick,"  whispered 
the  eldest  Rover.  "Hi,  you,  what  are  you  do 
ing?"  he  called  out. 

There  was  no  answer  and  the  silence  was  just 
as  ominous  as  before.  The  light  in  the  inner 
room  had  gone  out. 

"What  are  you  doing?"  repeated  Dick,  and  ran 
close  to  the  door  to  listen.  Nothing  but  abso 
lute  silence  followed. 

What  to  do  next  the  two  boys  did  not  know; 
They  waited  for  fully  five  minutes — then  five 
more.  Presently  they  heard  Sam  coming  back. 

"I  yelled  for  Jack  and  the  others,  but  I  got  no 
answer,"  said  he.  "What  are  the  men  doing?" 

"We  don't  know,"  answered  Tom.  "We  are 
afraid  they  are  up  to  some  trick." 

"A  trick?"  repeated  Sam.  Then  he  gave  a 
gasp.  "The  room — isn't  there  a  back  door,  lead 
ing  out  to  the  shed?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Dick. 

"I'll  run  and  see." 

Sam  was  gone  less  than  two  minutes  when  they 


AT  THE  OLD  MILL  49 

heard  a  cry,  and  then  he  pounded  on  the  door 
they  had  so  carefully  guarded. 

"There  is  a  back  door  and  it  is  wide  open.  The 
men  have  gone!"  was  his  diimaying  announce 
ment. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   STORY   OF   A   TREASURE 

IT  was  a  disheartening  discovery,  but  the  three 
Rover  boys  did  not  stop  to  think  it  over.  Throw 
ing  open  the  bolted  door,  Tom  and  Dick  joined 
Sam,  and  in  the  darkness  made  their  way  to  the 
rear  of  the  room  in  which  they  had  held  Cuffer 
and  Shelley  prisoners.  In  a  minute  more  they 
were  outside,  under  the  trees  at  the  rear  of  the 
old  mill. 

"Which  way  did  they  go?" 

Tom  asked  the  question,  but  nobody  could  an 
swer  it.  The  moon  had  now  gone  under  some 
clouds  and  it  was  so  dark  they  could  scarcely  see 
ten  feet  in  any  direction. 

"Perhaps  they  took  to  the  river  again,"  sug 
gested  Sam. 

"It  is  not  likely,"  answered  his  big  brother. 
"But  we  can  take  a  look." 

They  ran  around  to  where  the  men  had  landed. 
Their  boat  was  still  in  its  place,  tied  to  a  tree. 

50 


THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE  51 

"Listen!"  cried  Sam.  "Somebody  is  shouting, 
and  there  is  a  light." 

"It  is  Jack  Ness,"  said  Tom. 

The  boys  set  up  an  answering  shout,  and  soon 
a  boat  came  up  to  the  shore.  It  contained  the 
hired  man  and  the  two  Ditwolds.  They  had  a 
lantern  with  them  and  also  an  old-fashioned 
single-barrel  shotgun. 

The  situation  was  quickly  explained,  and  then 
the  party  of  six  began  a  systematic  search  of  the 
woods  and  the  various  roads  in  the  vicinity  of 
Henderson's  mill.  This  search  lasted  until 
morning,  but  nothing  came  of  it. 

"We  may  as  well  give  up,"  said  Dick,  at  5ast. 
"They  have  gotten  away  and  that  is  all  there  is 
to  it." 

The  boys  were  completely  tired  out  when  they 
got  home.  Their  uncle  and  aunt  were  much  wor 
ried  over  their  prolonged  absence  and  overjoyed 
to  see  them  return  unharmed. 

"I  was  so  afraid  one  of  you  might  get  shot  01 
something,"  said  Mrs.  Rover.  "Some  of  thtfsf 
;  chickens  thieves  are  desperate  characters." 

"Those  men  were  more  than  chicken  thieves," 
I  answered  Dick.  And  he  told  his  uncle  and  aunfr 
^  of  the  conversation  overheard  at  the  old  mill. 

"It  is  a  great  pity  that  they  got  away,"  saw* 
Randolph  Rover. 


52        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"What  do  you  imagine  they  are  after.  Unck 
Randolph?"  questioned  Sam. 

"I  do  not  know,  excepting  it  may  be  some  min 
ing  stocks  or  a  deed  to  some  property.  Perhaps 
your  father  will  be  able  to  explain  it  when  he  gets 
back." 

The  authorities  were  notified,  but  they  failed 
to  apprehend  the  men.  It  was  learned  that  the 
boat  they  had  used  had  been  stolen  from  a  point 
near  Oak  Run,  and  the  craft  was  returned  to  its 
owner.  That  they  had  used  the  old  mill  for  a 
stopping  place  was  evidenced  by  the  remains  of 
numerous  meals  found  there.  The  boys  made  a 
careful  search  of  the  premises,  but  brought  noth 
ing  to  light  which  was  of  use  to  them. 

"I  wish  father  was  home — or  we  knew  how  to 
reach  him  by  telephone,  or  with  a.  telegram,"  re 
marked  Dick. 

"Well,  we  can't  reach  him,  so  we'll  have  to  be 
patient  until  he  returns,"  answered  Sam.  "By 
the  way,  I  wonder  if  his  going  away  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  what  those  men  were  up  to  ?" 

"It  might  be  so,"  returned  Dick,  slowly.  "Both 
happenings  are  queer,  to  say  the  least." 

"I  wish  I  knew  what  father  has  in  mind  to 
do,"  came  from  Tom.  "I  hope  we  take  some  kind 
of  a  trip.  I  don't  want  to  stick  on  the  farm  all 
summer.* 


THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE 


53 


With  nothing  to  do,  the  next  two  days  passed 
slowly.  The  boys  went  fishing  and  swimming, 
and  they  also  did  some  shooting  at  a  target  which 
they  set  up  behind  the  barn,  and  whiled  away 
some  time  at  boxing  and  in  gymnastic  exercises. 
'  Dick  also  spent  an  hour  in  penning  a  long  letter 
to  Dora  Stanhope,  who,  as  my  old  readers  are 
well  aware,  was  his  dearest  girl  friend.  Dora  and 
her  mother  lived  not  far  from  Putnam  Hall,  and 
Dick  and  his  brothers  had  become  acquainted 
with  her  and  her  two  cousins,  Nellie  and  Grace 
Laning,  when  they  had  first  gone  to  school.  The 
Rover  boys  had  on  several  occasions  saved  Mrs. 
Stanhope  from  serious  trouble,  and  for  this  the 
widow  was  very  grateful.  She  and  her  daughter 
had  gone  with  them  on  the  houseboat  trip  down 
the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  and  Mrs.  Laning 
and  Nellie  and  Grace  had  likewise  accompanied 
the  party.  It  may  be  added  here  that  Tom  and 
Sam  thought  Nellie  and  Grace  two  of  the  nicest 
girls  in  the  whole  world,  which  indeed  they  were. 

On  Saturday  morning  the  boys  were  contem 
plating  a  bicycle  ride  when  Sam,  who  chanced  to 
look  toward  the  road,  set  up  a  shout : 

"Here  comes  father!" 

All  gazed  in  the  direction  and  saw  Mr.  Rover 
coming  toward  them  in  a  rig  he  had  hired  at  the 
depot.  They  ran  to  meet  their  parent  and  were 


£1       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

soon  shaking  him  by  the  hand.     They  saw  that 
he  looked  travel-worn  and  tired. 

"I  have  been  on  the  go  ever  since  I  left  Putnam 
Hall,"  said  Anderson  Rover.  "It  was  a  most  un 
expected  trip.  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  as  soon 
as  I  have  rested  a  bit  and  had  something  to  eat." 

"We  have  something  to  tell,  too,"  answered 
Dick.  "But  that  can  keep  until  later." 

Inside  of  an  hour  Mr.  Rover  had  been  served 
with  a  good,  hot  breakfast  and  then  he  declared 
that  he  felt  like  a  new  man.  He  invited  the 
whole  family  into  the  sitting  room  for  a  con 
ference  of  importance. 

"I  told  you  lads  I  had  something  on  my  mind,'* 
he  said.  "I  did  not  want  to  speak  of  it  while  at 
the  graduation  exercises  at  the  school  because 
there  was  too  much  going  on.  Now  I  am  going 
to  tell  you  everything  and  also  tell  you  what  I 
propose  to  do.  But  first  I  want  to  listen  to  what 
you  have  to  tell  me.*" 

It  did  not  take  the  three  Uqys  long  to  relate  the 
particulars  of  the  pursuit  of  Cuffer  and  Shelley, 
and  of  what  they  had  overheard  at  the  old  mill. 
Anderson  Rover  listened  with  close  attention  and 
did  not  seem  surprised  when  they  mentioned  Sid 
Merrick's  name. 

"That  fits  in,  to  a  certain  degree,  with  what  I 
have  to  tell  you. "  he  said,  when  they  had  finished. 


THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE  55 

"It  is  a  strange  story,  and  the  only  way  for  me 
to  do,  so  that  it  will  be  perfectly  clear  to  you,  is 
to  tell  it  from  the  beginning." 

"Well,  we're  willing  enough  to  listen,"  said 
Dick,  with  a  smile. 

"We've  been  on  pins  and  needles  ever  since  you 
faid  you  had  something  important  to  tell,"  added 
Tom,  grinning. 

"Well,  to  start,  this  concerns  Mrs.  Stanhope 
more  than  it  concerns  ourselves,"  began  the 
father. 

"What!"  ejaculated  Dick.  He  had  not  ex 
pected  anything  of  this  sort. 

"I  knew  you  would  be  surprised,  Dick,  and 
you'll  be  more  surprised  whe^  I  get  through." 

"Are  the  Lanings  in  this?"  questioned  Sam, 
thinking  of  Grace. 

"They  are  in  a  certain  sense — or  will  be  if 
everything  turns  out  successfully.  When  Mr. 
Stanhope  died  he  left  most  of  his  property  to 
Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Dora — the  majority  to  Dora 
—but  a  small  share  was  left  to  the  Lanings,  they 
being  so  closely  related  and  such  good  friends." 

"But  what  is  it  all  about?"  asked  Tom,  impa 
tiently. 

"As  I  said  before,  I  must  start  at  the  begin 
ning,  or  perhaps  you  won't  understand  at  all.  As 
you  know,  Mr,  Stanhope  died  some  years  ago. 


56       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

He  was  interested  in  various  business  enterprises, 
including  a  number  of  vessels  which  carried 
freight  between  the  United  States  and  the  West 
Indies.  One  of  his  partners  in  the  freight-carry 
ing  business  was  a  man  named  Robertson  and 
another  was  a  Silas  Merrick." 

"Merrick!"  cried  Sam. 

"Yes,  and  this  Silas  Merrick  was  an  older 
brother  to  Sid  Merrick,  the  rascal  who  stole  the 
bonds,  and  whom  you  heard  mentioned  by  Cuf- 
fer  and  Shelley.  Let  me  say  here  that  Silas  Mer 
rick  is  dead,  and  when  he  died  he  left  all  his 
property  to  his  brother  Sidney  and  his  sister.  The 
sister  is  dead,  too,  and  her  property,  so  I  under 
stand,  went  to  her  son.  Tad  Sobber." 

"This  is  getting  deep,"  said  Tom,  his  sunny 
face  growing  wrinkled. 

"It  will  soon  get  deeper,  Tom.  During  the 
time  that  the  firm  of  Stanhope,  Robertson  &  Mer 
rick  were  carrying  freight  from  the  West  Indies 
there  was  a  fierce  revolution  in  Central  America. 
Some  families  of  high  rank  were  forced  to  flee, 
among  them  a  nobleman  named  Parmonelli,  who 
left  home  carrying  with  him  gold  and  diamonds 
worth  many  thousands  of  dollars.  He  managed 
to  get  on  board  one  of  the  vessels  owned  by  Mr. 
Stanhope's  firm,  and  Mr.  Stanhope  was  on  the 


THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE  57 

ship  at  the  same  time.  The  vessel  was  followed 
by  revolutionists  who  were  no  better  than  pirates, 
and  after  a  fierce  fight  the  revolutionists  shot 
Parmonelli  and  carried  off  his  fortune." 

"This  is  certainly  getting  deep,"  murmured 
Sam. 

"Parmonelli  was  not  killed  at  once,  but  died 
two  days  after  being  shot  down.  He  was  very 
bitter  against  the  revolutionists,  and  said  they 
had  no  right  to  take  his  fortune  from  him — that 
it  was  his  and  did  not  belong  to  the  state.  As 
Mr.  Stanhope  had  befriended  him  to  the  last  he 
made  a  will,  leaving  the  fortune  to  Mr.  Stanhope 
if  the  same  could  be  recovered." 

"And  how  much  was  it?"  questioned  Dick. 

"I  cannot  say  exactly — the  will  mentions  six 
bags  of  gold  and  one  bag  of  precious  stones,  all 
packed  in  several  chests." 

"It's  queer  I  never  heard  of  this  from  Dora," 
said  Dick.  "She  told  me  about  the  other  money 
her  father  left." 

"Mr.  Stanhope  kept  the  matter  to  himself,  and 
at  his  death  told  only  Mr.  Laning,  for — as  you 
know — Mrs.  Stanhope  was  then  in  delicate  health 
and  it  was  deemed  very  unwise  to  excite  her." 

"But  what  about  the  fortune — was  it  recov^ 
cred?"  asked  Tom. 

"No." 


58       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Then  the  money  has  long  since  been  spent," 
cried  Sam,  in  dismay. 

"No,  Sam,  the  money  and  the  jewels,  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief,  have  never 
been  touched.  When  the  revolutionists  carried 
them  off  they  said  they  were  going  straight  back 
to  Central  America  with  them.  Instead,  how 
ever,  they  landed  on  an  island  of  the  West  In 
dies  and  there  started  to  divide  the  fortune.  This 
caused  a  bitter  fight,  in  which  several  of  the  party 
were  killed  and  wounded.  Then  it  was  decided 
to  hide  the  money  and  jewels  in  a  cave  on  the 
island  and  make  a  division  later.  A  place  was 
selected  and  the  gold  and  jewels  placed  under 
heavy  rocks  in  a  small  cave.  After  that  the  party 
sailed  away.  When  they  got  home,  much  to  their 
surprise  and  dismay,  they  found  their  country  in 
the  hands  once  more  of  the  government.  They 
were  raptured  and  all  but  two  were  sentenced  to 
be  shot  as  traitors.  The  two  were  sent  to  prison 
and  they  were  released  less  than  a  year  ago.  One 
was  a  Spaniard  named  Doranez  and  the  other  a 
Spanish-American  sailor  named  Camel,  but 
usually  called  Bahama  Jack,  because  he  has  spent 
nearly  all  his  life  among  the  Bahama  Islands." 

"Did  those  two  men  go  after  the  treasure  when 
they  got  out  of  prison?"  asked  Sam. 

"They  wanted  to,  but  they  were  poor  and  had 


THE  STORY  OF  A  TREASURE  59 

forgotten  the  exact  location  of  the  island  where 
the  treasure  was  hidden.  Bahama  Jack  was  a 
happy-go-lucky  sort  of  a  sailor  and  he  came  to 
this  country  and  worked  for  a  while  on  a  lumber 
schooner  running  from  Florida  to  Boston.  Do- 
ranez  also  came  to  this  country,  but  where  he 
kept  himself  at  first  I  do  not  know." 

"Go  on,  dad,  this  is  getting  exciting,"  broke 
in  Tom,  as  his  parent  paused  in  his  recital. 

"Not  long  ago  Mrs.  Stanhope  came  to  me  for 
advice  concerning  this  mattei.  Mr.  Laning  had 
told  her  everything,  and  she  wanted  to  know  if  it 
would  be  worth  while  to  organize  an  expedition 
to  hunt  for  the  treasure.  I  said  I  would  look  into 
the  matter  and  ask  her  to  give  me  what  papers 
Mr.  Stanhope  had  left  in  reference  to  the  affair. 
I  started  to  hunt  up  Bahama  Jack  and  Doranez. 
After  a  good  deal  of  work  I  found  the  former  and 
had  several  long  talks  with  him." 

"Did  you  get  any  news  from  him?"  asked 
Dick. 

"A  little.  He  does  not  remember  exactly 
where  the  island  was  located,  but  told  much  about 
its  general  appearance  and  what  other  islands 
were  in  that  vicinity.  But  he  also  told  me  some 
thing  else,  which  worried  me  a  good  deal.  It 
was  that  Sid  Merrick,  as  the  heir  of  Silas  Mer- 
rick,  was  also  after  the  treasure." 


CHAPTER   VII 
» 

IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING 

*SiD  MERRICK  after  the  treasure!"  cried  Dick. 

"Yes.  He  wants  it  both  for  himself  and  for 
his  nephew,  Tad  Sobber.  He  claims  that  the 
revolutionists  took  it  from  a  ship  belonging  in 
part  to  his  brother  and  consequently  he  has  as 
much  right  to  it  as  has  Mrs.  Stanhope." 

"But  that  isn't  so,  is  it?"  asked  Sam. 

"No;  the  treasure,  if  it  is  found,  belongs  to 
Mr.  Stanhope's  estate  absolutely — that  is,  to  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  Dora  and  the  Lanings.  The  fact  that 
Silas  Merrick  had  an  interest  in  the  ship  at  the 
time  of  the  stealing  of  the  wealth  cuts  no  figure  at 
all." 

"What  is  Sid  Merrick  doing?"  asked  Tom. 

"He  has  been  working  in  secret,  looking  for 
Bahama  Jack  and  the  Spaniard,  Doranez.  I 
found  out  that  he  had  one  talk  with  Bahama 
Jack,  but  the  sailor  did  not  like  Merrick  and  told 


IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING         6l 

him  very  little.  Then  I  started  to  find  Doranez 
— he  is  the  man  I  have  been  after  during  the  past 
week.  I  found  him  and  he  promised  to  work 
with  me  if  I  would  pay  him  for  his  trouble.  But 
yesterday  he  sent  me  a  note,  stating  he  had 
changed  his  mind  and  was  going  to  Spain,  to  look 
up  some  of  his  relatives.  So  he  is  probably  out 
of  it  from  now  on." 

"Maybe  he  is  going  to  look  for  the  treasure  on 
his  own  account,"  suggested  Randolph  Rover. 

"He  cannot  do  that  very  well,  for  he  has  little 
or  no  money." 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do,  father — go 
on  a  hunt  for  the  treasure?"  asked  Dick. 

"Yes.  From  what  papers  I  have  on  hand  and 
the  information  gotten  from  Bahama  Jack  I 
think  we  stand  a  fair  chance  of  locating  that 
island  and  of  finding  the  cave  where  the  treas 
ure  is  secreted.  Of  course,  there  is  a  good  deal 
of  guess-work  about  it,  but  I  am  convinced 
the  thing  is  worth  trying." 

"And  how  are  you  going  at  it?"  came  from 
Tom. 

"A  friend  of  mine  in  Philadelphia,  a  Mr.  Dale, 
has  a  steam  yacht  which  he  is  not  going  to  use 
this  summer,  as  he  is  going  to  Europe.  I  have 
determined  to  charter  that  yacht  and  go  on  a 
cruise  among  the  West  Indies.  It  will  be  a  fine 


62       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

outing  for  the  summer,  even  if  we  don't  locate 
Treasure  Isle,  as  Mr.  Stanhope  called  the  spot." 

"And  you'll  take  us  along?"  asked  Tom, 
quickly. 

"If  you  want  to  go." 

"If  we  want  to  go?  Does  a  duck  want  to 
swim,  or  a  dog  want  to  scratch  fleas  ?  Of  course 
we  want  to  go." 

"Such  a  trip  will  suit  me  to  a  T,"  said  Sam. 
"And  I  hope  with  all  my  heart  we  locate  that 
treasure,"  he  added  earnestly. 

"Of  course  you'll  take  this  Bahama  Jack 
along,"  said  Dick. 

"Yes,  and  I  have  promised  him  a  big  reward 
if  the  treasure  is  recovered,"  answered  his  father. 

"Who  else  will  be  in  the  party  ?" 

At  this  question  Anderson  Rover's  eyes  be 
gan  to  sparkle. 

"I  was  going  to  keep  it  a  secret,  but  perhaps  I 
had  better  tell  you.  The  steam  yacht  is  a  large 
one  and  can  readily  accommodate  fifteen  or 
twenty  passengers.  I  have  decided  to  ask  Mrs. 
Stanhope  to  go  and  bring  Dora,  and  will  also 
ask  the  Lanings.  Then  they  will  know  exactly 
what  is  being  done  to  recover  the  treasure.  In 
addition,  if  you  want  to  take  some  of  your  chums 
with  you,  as  you  did  on  that  houseboat  trip " 


IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING         63 

"Hurrah,  just  the  thing!"  burst  out  Sam.  "Let 
us  take  Fred  Garrison  by  all  means." 

"Yes,  and  Songbird  Powell  and  Hans  Muel 
ler,"  added  Tom.  "They  will  help  to  make 
things  lively." 

"Can  they  go?"  questioned  Dick. 

"We  can  telegraph  and  find  out,"  answered 
Tom.  "I'll  telegraph  this  afternoon,"  he  added, 
always  ready  to  do  things  on  the  rush.  "We 
ought  to  get  an  answer  to-night  or  to-morrow 
morning." 

"When  do  you  want  to  start  on  the  trip?" 
asked  Dick. 

"As  soon  as  the  party  can  be  made  up,  and 
the  steam  yacht  can  be  gotten  in  readiness.  I 
have  already  instructed  the  captain  to  provision 
her  for  the  trip." 

"Then  she  has  a  captain  and  a  crew?" 

"Oh,  yes,  she  carries  ten  men,  including  an 
engineer  and  his  assistant." 

"That  is  certainly  fine!"  said  Dick,  and  he 
smiled  as  he  thought  of  what  a  nice  trip  they 
would  have  with  Dora  Stanhope  on  board.  Dick 
was  not  "moonstruck,"  but  he  had  a  manly  re 
gard  for  Dora  that  did  him  credit. 

After  that  Anderson  Rover  gave  them  many 
more  details  regarding  the  treasure,  and  his 
talks  with  Bahama  Jack  and  of  what  he  hoped 


64      THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

to  accomplish.  He  had  a  fair  idea  of  the  lati 
tude  and  longitude  of  Treasure  Isle,  which,  he 
had  been  told,  was  of  coral  formation,  covered 
with  palms  and  shaped  somewhat  like  a  horse* 
shoe. 

"Bahama  Jack  says  the  treasure  cave  is  about 
in  the  center  of  the  inner  curve  of  the  island, 
but  that  you  cannot  sail  close  to  it  on  account  of 
the  numerous  reefs.  You  have  to  land  on  the 
island  in  a  small  boat,  and  that  is  why  very  few 
ships  stop  there.  Natives  of  that  vicinity  occa 
sionally  go  there  for  fruit  and  for  birds,  but 
there  is  no  regular  village  on  the  island." 

"If  the  island  is  shaped  like  a  horseshoe  we 
ought  not  to  have  great  difficulty  in  locating  it/' 
said  Dick. 

"The  trouble  is,  you  cannot  see  the  formation 
very  well  from  the  sea,  Dick.  If  one  were  in  a 
balloon  it  would  be  different.  You  must  remem 
ber  that  there  are  many  hundreds  of  islands  scat 
tered  in  that  part  of  our  globe." 

"Let's  take  a  balloon  along,"  suggested  Tom. 
"Then  we  could  go  up  and  take  a  look  around/* 

"You  couldn't  look  far  enough,  Tom,  and  if 
you  tried  to  sail  in  the  balloon  you'd  probably 
drop  into  the  ocean  and  be  drowned.  No,  we'll 
have  to  do  our  searching  from  the  steam  yacht. 


IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING        65 

But  I  have  several  maps  and  drawings  which  I 
think  will  aid  us." 

"The  things  Cuffer  and  Shelley  were  after?" 
cried  Dick. 

"Perhaps — if  they  are  in  league  with  Sid  Mer- 
rick.  Merrick,  of  course,  would  like  to  get  all 
the  information  possible." 

"I'd  like  to  look  at  the  maps  and  drawings." 

"So  would  I,"  added  Sam  and  Tom.  The  idea 
of  going  on  a  treasure  hunt  filled  them  with 
great  interest. 

"The  maps  and  drawings  I  have  are  only  cop 
ies,"  went  on  Anderson  Rover.  "The  originals 
are  in  Mrs.  Stanhope's  possession."  Mr.  Rover 
turned  to  his  brother.  "You  have  them,  Ran 
dolph.  Will  you  please  get  them." 

"I  have  them?"  queried  Randolph  Rover,  in 
perplexity.  As  my  old  readers  know,  he  was  at 
times  somewhat  absent-minded. 

"Why,  yes,  don't  you  remember  my  giving 
them  to  you?  They  were  in  a  large  yellow  en 
velope.  I  think  you  placed  them  away  with  your 
traction  company  bonds." 

"Why — er — so  I  did,"  stammered  Randolph 
Rover.  "But  I — er — I  don't  quite  remember 
what  I  did  with  them."  He  scratched  his  head. 
"I'll  go  and  get  my  tin  box." 

He  left  the  sitting  room,  and  after  being  gone 


66       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

fully  ten  minutes  returned  with  a  flat  tin  box,  in 
which  he  kept  some  papers  of  value. 

"The  envelope  doesn't  seem  to  be  here,"  he 
said,  turning  over  the  contents  of  the  box. 

"Don't  you  remember  it?"  asked  his  brother, 
anxiously. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  remember  it  very  well  now.  I  saw 
it  only  a  couple  of  days  before  I  went  to  Carwell 
with  my  bonds." 

"Did  you  take  that  tin  box  to  Carwell  ?"  asked 
Tom. 

"Yes." 

"Was  the  envelope  in  it  then?" 

"I — er — I  really  don't  know,  Thomas.  You 
see  I  was  much  upset,  thinking  my  bonds  were 
no  good.  Perhaps  the  yellow  envelope  was  in 
the  box,  under  the  bonds." 

"And  did  Sid  Merrick  have  hold  of  the  box?" 
demanded  Anderson  Rover. 

"He  may  have  had.  The  box  was  on  a  side 
table,  and  he  walked  around  the  room  and  over 
to  it  several  times." 

"Then,  unless  you  have  the  envelope  now,  Sid 
Merrick  stole  it,"  said  Anderson  Rover,  some 
what  bitterly. 

This  announcement  filled  Randolph  Rover  with 
increased  anxiety  and  as  a  result  he  looked  over 
all  his  private  papers  and  ransacked  his  safe  and 


IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING         67 

fiis  desk  from  end  to  end.  But  the  precious  yel 
low  envelope  and  its  contents  were  not  brought  to 
light. 

"Merrick  must  have  gotten  hold  of  that  en» 
.velope  at  the  time  he  stole  the  bonds,"  said  Dick. 
"Maybe  that  is  what  made  him  trace  up  this  story 
of  the  treasure." 

"That  may  be  true,  Dick,"  answered  his  pa 
rent. 

Randolph  Rover  was  greatly  distressed  over 
the  disappearance  of  the  maps  and  drawings  and 
upbraided  himself  roundly  for  not  having  been 
more  careful. 

"Now  that  they  are  in  this  Merrick's  hands  he 
may  make  use  of  them,"  he  said  dolefully. 

"Undoubtedly  he  will,"  answered  Anderson 
Rover. 

"If  he  has  those  papers  and  maps  why  did  he 
send  Cuffer  and  Shelley  here?"  asked  Tom. 

"Most  likely  he  thought  he  could  get  addi 
tional  information." 

"It  seems  to  me  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is 

to  get  after  that  treasure  without  delay,"  said 

,Dick.     "If  we  don't,  Merrick  may  form  some 

kind  of  a  party,  locate  the  island,  and  steal  the 

gold  and  jewels  from  under  our  very  noses!" 

"Oh,  such  things  are  not  done  in  a  day,  Dick," 
said  his  father,  with  a  faint  smile.  "But  I  agree 


68       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

with  you,  the  quicker  we  get  after  the  treasure 
the  better." 

After  that  a  discussion  lasting  well  after  the 
dinner  hour  followed,  and  was  only  ended  when 
Mrs.  Rover  fairly  drove  them  into  the  dining 
room  for  the  midday  repast.  It  was  resolved  that 
the  party  to  go  in  search  of  the  treasure  should 
be  made  up  of  Anderson  Rover  and  his  three 
sons,  Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Dora,  the  Lanings,  and 
also  Fred  Garrison,  Songbird  Powell  and  Hans 
Mueller,  During  the  afternoon  a  number  of  tele 
grams  and  letters  were  written,  and  the  boys 
send  these  off  before  nightfall. 

Aleck  Pop  was  very  much  interested  in  such 
conversation  as  he  had  overheard,  and  as  he  had 
accompanied  the  boys  to  the  jungles  of  Africa 
and  on  the  houseboat  trip  he  was  very  anxious  to 
be  a  member  of  the  present  party. 

"I  don't  see  how  yo'  young  gen'men  is  gwine 
to  git  along  widout  me,"  he  said  to  Sam.  "Don't 
yo'  think  you  kin  squeeze  me  aboadh  somehow?" 

"Aren't  you  afraid  you'd  get  seasick,  Aleck?" 
asked  Sam. 

"I  ain't  afraid  ob  nuffin,  if  only  yo'll  take  me 
along,"  answered  the  darkey  earnestly. 

"I  suppose  the  steam  yacht  has  its  cook." 

"Dat  might  be,  Massa  Sam,  but  didn't  I  cook 
all  right  on  dat  houseboat?" 


IN  WHICH  SOMETHING  IS  MISSING        69 

"You  certainly  did." 

"Might  be  as  how  I  could  gib  dat  cook  on  de 
yacht  some  p'ints  as  to  wot  yo'  young  gen'men 
like,  ain't  dat  so?" 

"Perhaps,  Aleck.  If  you  wish,  I'll  speak  to 
father  about  it." 

"Tank  yo'  werry  much,  Massa  Sam!" 

"But  you  must  promise  one  thing,"  put  in 
Tom,  who  was  listening  to  the  talk. 

"Wot  is  dat?" 

"You  won't  run  off  and  marry  the  widow 
Taylor  when  you  get  back." 

"Huh!  I'se  done  wid  dat  trash!"  snorted 
Aleck.  "She  kin  mahrry  dat  Thomas  an*  wel 
come.  I  don't  want  her  or  her  chillun  neither !" 

"All  right,  then,  Aleck,  we'll  see  what  we  can 
do  for  you,"  said  Tom,  and  Sam  said  the  same. 
In  the  end  it  was  agreed  that  Aleck  should  ac 
company  the  party  as  a  general  helper,  and  this 
pleased  the  colored  man  very  much.  It  was  a 
lucky  thing  for  the  boys  that  Aleck  went  along, 
as  certain  later  events  proved. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  ROVER   BOYS  IN    NEW   YORK 

THE  more  the  Rover  boys  talked  about  the 
treasure  hunt  the  more  enthusiastic  they  became, 
until,  as  Tom  expressed  it,  they  were  "simply 
boiling  over  with  enthusiasm." 

"It  will  be  a  'grand  thing  for  the  Stanhopes 
and  the  Lanings  if  we  do  locate  that  treasure," 
said  Sam.  "Mr.  Laning  has  some  money,  but  I 
know  he'd  like  more,  so  he  wouldn't  have  to  farm 
quite  so  hard." 

"And  Dick  wants  to  get  all  he  can  for  Dora, 
I'm  certain  of  that,"  said  Tom,  with  a  merry 
glance  at  his  elder  brother. 

"How  about  you  getting  the  Laning  share  for 
Nellie's  benefit?"  retorted  Dick,  his  face  growing 
red.  "I  reckon  the  boot  is  as  long  as  the  shoe.'* 

As  the  Rovers  had  plenty  of  money  it  was  an 
easy  matter  to  arrange  for  the  expenses  of  the 
trip.  Mrs.  Stanhope  wanted  to  pay  a  share,  but 

To 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK  71 

Anderson  Rover  said  she  had  better  wait  until 
the  treasure  was  found. 

Inside  of  three  days  word  was  received  from 
all  those  who  had  been  asked  to  participate  in 
the  search.  Mr.  Laning  said  that  he  could  not 
leave  his  farm  very  well,  but  that  his  wife  and 
two  daughters  would  go.  Mrs.  Stanhope  and 
Dora  said  they  would  pack  immediately.  Fred 
Garrison  was  visiting  Hans  Mueller  and  the  two 
sent  a  telegram  as  follows : 

"You  couldn't  hold  us  back  if  you  tried. 
Where  shall  we  meet  you?" 

"That's  like  Fred,"  said  Dick.  "I  am  awfully 
glad  he  is  to  be  with  us — and  glad  Hans  will 
come,  too." 

The  last  telegram  to  come  in  was  from  Song 
bird  Powell.  The  reply  of  the  would-be  poet  of 
Putnam  Hall  was  characteristic: 

"Tell  m-  where 

And  I'll  be  there, 
On  the  run 

For  lots  of  fun." 

"If  that  isn't  Songbird!"  exclaimed  Sam, 
laughing,  as  he  read  the  telegram.  "Had  to  talk 
in  rhyme  even  over  the  telegraph  wire !" 


72       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

It  was  finally  decided  that  the  whole  party 
should  meet  in  Philadelphia  about  the  Fourth  of 
July,  which  was  now  less  than  a  week  off.  They 
should  go  directly  to  the  steam  yacht,  and  the 
voyage  was  to  begin  as  soon  as  all  arrangements 
were  completed. 

"I  wish  to  stop  off  at  New  York  for  a  day," 
said  Anderson  Rover.  "If  you  boys  want  to  go 
with  me  you  may  do  so." 

"That  will  suit  me,"  answered  Dick,  and  his 
brothers  said  the  same. 

It  had  been  agreed  that  no  outsiders  should  be 
told  of  the  treasure  hunt,  so  nothing  was  men 
tioned  but  a  summer  trip  on  a  steam  yacht.  The 
day  the  Rovers  and  Aleck  Pop  left  the  farm  was 
a  clear  one,  and  all  were  in  the  best  of  spirits. 
The  colored  man  drove  to  the  depot  with  Jack 
Ness  and  the  trunks  and  dress-suit  cases,  and  all 
of  the  others  went  in  the  carryall,  Randolph 
Rover  driving  and  Mrs.  Rover  giving  the  boys 
final  instructions  about  taking  care  of  them 
selves. 

"I  shall  miss  you  very  much,"  she  said,  with 
tears  in  her  eyes.  Her  lively  nephews  were  as 
dear  to  her  as  if  they  were  her  own  sons. 

"You'd  better  go  along,  Aunt  Martha,"  said 
Dick. 

"We'd  like  it  first-rate,"  added  Sam. 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK  73 

"It  might  help  us  to  keep  out  of  mischief," 
came  from  Tom,  with  a  bright  smile. 

"No,  I'll  stay  at  home  with  your  uncle,  boys. 
But  do  take  care  of  yourselves,  and  come  home 
safe." 

"Oh,  there  will  be  no  danger  in  this  trip,"  said 
Dick,  but  he  was  mistaken — there  was  to  be 
great  peril  and  of  an  unusual  kind.  If  the  treas 
ure  hunters  could  have  seen  what  was  before 
them  they  would  not  have  started  off  in  such  a 
confident  frame  of  mind. 

The  train  was  a  little  late,  but  presently  it 
rolled  into  the  station  and  the  trunks  and  other 
baggage  were  hoisted  aboard.  Then  came  the 
final  embraces  and  the  boys  climbed  up  the  steps, 
followed  by  their  father  and  Aleck. 

"Hurrah,  we  are  off  at  last!"  cried  Tom,  and 
waved  his  cap  enthusiastically.  The  others  did 
the  same,  and  then  the  train  started  and  Oak 
Run  quickly  faded  from  sight.  As  the  boys  set 
tled  down  in  their  seats  a  lad  came  from  another 
car  and  moved  swiftly  toward  them. 

"Songbird,  by  all  that's  lucky!"  cried  Dick, 
and  caught  the  other  by  the  hand. 

"I  thought  you'd  be  on  this  train,"  answered 
Songbird  Powell.  "I  got  your  wire  last  n'ght 
that  you  would  stop  off  at  New  York.  I  am  go- 


74       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

ing  to  stop,  too — to  see  an  uncle  of  mine  on  a. 
little  business." 

"Then  you'll  travel  with  us  to  Philadelphia?"1 
queried  Sam. 

"Sure." 

"Good!    Tom  was  just  saying  he'd  like  some' 
of  the  others  along." 

"When  I  got  your  invitation  I  danced  a  jig 
of  delight,"  went  on  Songbird.  "I  just  couldn't 
help  it.  Then  I  sat  down  and  wrote " 

"A  piece  of  poetry  about  it  thirty-five  stanzas 
long,"  finished  Tom. 

"No,  Tom,  there  are  only  six  verses.  You  see 
I  couldn't  help  it — I  was  so  chuck  full  of  en 
thusiasm.  The  poero  begins  like  this: 

"  'Twas  a  peaceful,  summer  night, 

When  all  the  stars  were  shining  bright, 

There  came  a  rap  on  our  house  door 

Which  made  me  leap  from  bed  to  floor. 

To  me  had  come  a  telegram 

From  my  old  chums,  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam 

Asking  if  I  had  a  notion 

To  sail  with  them  upon  the  ocean. 

To  skim  along  on  waters  blue " 

"And  then  and  there  get  seasick,  too," 

finished  Tom.  "Don't  forget  to  put  in  about  the 
seasickness,  Songbird— it  always  *^es  with  a 
voyage,  you  know." 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK          75 

"Seasick!"  snorted  the  would-be  poet.  "Who 
ever  heard  of  seasickness  in  a  poem?  The  next 
line  is  this: 


"And  see  so  many  sights  quite  new, 
To  rest  in  quiet  day  by  day 
And  watch  the  fishes  at  their  play." 

"That's  the  first  verse.  The  second  be 
gins " 

"Save  it,  Songbird,  until  we're  on  the  yacht/* 
interrupted  Sam.  "We'll  have  more  time  to 
listen  then." 

"All  right,"  answered  the  would-be  poet  cheer 
fully.  "I  want  to  fix  up  some  of  the  lines  any 
how.  I've  got  'harm'  to  rhyme  with  'storm'  and 
it  doesn't  quite  suit  me." 

"Never  mind — a  storm  often  does  great  harm/* 
said  Dick.  "You  can  easily  fix  it  up  by  throw 
ing  out  both  words,  you  know." 

After  that  the  talk  drifted  around  to  the  mat 
ter  of  the  treasure  hunt  and  Songbird  was  given 
some  of  the  details,  in  which  he  became  much 
interested.  He  declared  that  he  thought  the  trip 
on  the  steam  yacht  would  be  even  more  inter 
esting  than  the  one  on  the  houseboat  had  been. 

"We're  after  something  definite  this  trip,"  he 
said.  "We've  got  something  to  look  forward  to 


76       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

— especially  if  that  Sid  Merrick  starts  a  rival 
hunt" 

"We  want  to  get  ahead  of  Merrick,"  answered 
Dick.  "We  want  to  locate  Treasure  Isle  and  get 
the  gold  and  jewels  before  he  knows  what  we  are 
up  to." 

"What's  the  name  of  the  steam  yacht?" 

"The  Rainbow." 

"That's  a  good  name,  for  a  rainbow  is  a  sign 
of  good  promise,"  was  Songbird's  comment. 

The  party  had  to  make  one  change  of  cars  and 
had  their  dinner  on  the  train.  They  arrived  at 
the  Grand  Central  Depot  at  half  past  two  o'clock 
and  the  Rovers  went  to  a  nearby  hotel,  taking 
Aleck  with  them,  while  Songbird  hurried  off  to 
transact  his  business  with  his  uncle. 

Mr.  Rover  had  to  meet  some  men  who  were 
interested  in  his  mining  ventures  in  the  far  west, 
and  so,  after  accommodations  had  been  ob 
tained,  he  hurried  off,  leaving  the  boys  to  their 
own  devices. 

"Let  us  take  a  stroll  down  Broadway,"  sug 
gested  Sam,  to  whom  the  sights  of  this  busy 
thoroughfare  were  always  interesting. 

The  others  were  willing,  and  they  passed 
through  Forty-second  street  to  Broadway  and 
then  turned  southward.  The  street  was  filled 
with  wagons,  trucks  and  trolley  cars,  and  the 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK  77 

sidewalk  appeared  to  "overflow  with  folks,"  as 
Sam  said.  At  one  point  a  man  was  giving  some 
sort  of  an  exhibition  in  a  store  window  and  here 
the  crowd  was  so  great  they  had  to  walk  out  into 
the  gutter  to  get  past. 

"I  can  tell  you  one  thing,"  remarked  Dick. 
"There  is  after  all  but  one  New  York  and  no 
other  city  is  like  it." 

The  boys  walked  slowly  as  far  as  Union 
Square  and  then  sat  down  on  one  of  the  park 
benches  to  rest.  Nearly  all  the  benches  were 
filled  with  people  and  in  idle  curiosity  Dick  be 
gan  to  scan  the  various  types  of  men  present, 
from  bright,  brisk  clerks  to  fat  and  unshaved 
bummers,  too  lazy  to  work. 

"Hullo!" 

Dick  uttered  the  exclamation  so  abruptly  that 
Sam  and  Tom  were  startled. 

"What  do  you  see?"  queried  both. 

"Look  there!" 

They  gazed  in  the  direction  Dick  pointed  out 
and  on  a  distant  bench  saw  a  youth  of  about 
Tom's  age,  but  heavier-set,  talking  to  a  man  who 
wore  a  rusty  suit  of  brown  and  a  peculiarly- 
shaped  slouch  hat. 

"Why,  that's  Tad  Sobber!"  cried  Tom. 

"So  it  is,"  added  Sam.  "Who  is  that  fellow 
with  him?" 


78       THE  ROVER  BO  YS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"I  don't  know,  although  his  figure  looks  some 
what  familiar  to  me,"  answered  Dick. 

"What  can  Tad  be  doing  in  New  York?" 
questioned  Tom.  "Do  you  suppose  he  is  down 
here  with  Sid  Merrick?" 

"Perhaps." 

"Let's  go  over  and  see  what  he  has  to  say  for 
himself,"  suggested  Sam.  "Maybe  he'll  run 
away  when  he  sees  us." 

All  of  the  boys  were  curious  to  know  what  the 
former  bully  of  Putnam  Hall  might  have  to  say 
for  himself  and  they  strode  over  to  the  bench 
upon  which  Sobber  and  the  man  in  brown  were 
sitting.  They  came  up  behind  the  pair. 

"I  can't  give  you  any  money,  Cuffer,"  they 
heard  Tad  Sobber  say.  "You'll  have  to  wait  till 
my  Uncle  Sid  gets  here." 

"When  will  he  get  to  New  York?" 

"To-morrow." 

"That  fellow  is  Cuffer,  the  man  who  ran  away 
from  us  at  the  old  mill !"  cried  Dick. 

"Let  us  catch  him  and  hand  him  over  to  the 

lice,"  returned  Tom. 

In  his  excitement  he  talked  rather  loudly  and 

is  attracted  the  attention  of  Cuffer  and  Tad 
Bobber. 

"The  Rovers!"  cried  Sobber,  leaping  to  his 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK  79 

feet  in  consternation.  "How  did  they  get  down 
to  New  York?" 

"Who  did  you  say?"  questioned  Cuffer,  and 
then  looking  at  the  three  youths  his  face  blanched. 
"We  must  get  away  from  here,  and  be  quick 
about  it !" 

He  started  to  run  and  Dick  and  Sam  went 
after  him.  The  chase  led  to  the  lower  end  of 
the  little  park,  and  then  Cuffer  crossed  Four 
teenth  street,  and  amid  the  crowd  bound  home 
ward  for  the  day,  pushed  his  way  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Third  Avenue  elevated  railroad  sta 
tion. 

In  the  meantime  Tad  Sobber  started  to  run  in 
another  direction.  But  before  he  had  taken  a 
dozen  steps  Tom  was  on  him  and  had  him  by 
the  arm. 

"Stop,  Sobber,"  he  said  shortly. 

"I  won't !    You  let  me  go,  Tom  Rover." 

"I'll  not  let  you  go,"  answered  Tom,  firmly. 
"And  if  you  don't  stand  still  I'll  call  a  policeman 
and  have  you  arrested." 


CHAPTER   IX 

A  CHASE  ON  THE   BOWERY 

TOM'S  threat  to  have  Tad  Sobber  arrested 
caused  the  former  bully  of  the  school  to  pause 
and  turn  pale. 

"You— er — you  don't  mean  that,"  he  faltered. 
"You  can't  have  me  arrested." 

"Well  see  about  that,  Sobber/' 

**I  haven't  done  anything  wrong." 

"Then  why  did  you  run  away  from  Putnam 
HaD?" 

"I  had  a  right  to  leave.  Captain  Putnam 
wasn't  treating  me  fairly." 

"You  ran  away  on  account  of  that  snake  affair 
— you  can't  deny  it." 

"Humph !" 

That  snake  nearly  killed  Nick  PelL  He  isn't 
over  it  yet,  altogether." 

"Bah!  It  wasn't  the  snake  made  Xick  sick 
He  wasn't  feeling  well  some  days  before  the 
snake  bit  him." 


A  CHASE  O.V  THE  BOWEXT 


"It  was  the  snake  and  nothing  else  pot  him 
in  bed,~  answered  Tom,  warmly.  *"And  *-hat  is 
not  -all  You  are  in  league  with  your 
robbed  tny  unde  of  those  traction 
bonds." 

"I — er — I  don't  know  anything  about  thai 
•otter,**  answered  Sobber,  hastily. 

"Well,  I  know  aH  about  it.  Yon  were 
your  unde  when  he  got  away  from  us,  and 
he  dropped  the  pocketbook  containing  the  bonds." 

"Did  you  get  the  bonds  back?"  asked  Sobber, 
with  sudden  interest.  It  may  be  added  here  that 
Sid  Merrick  had  gone  back  long  after  the  chase 
to  look  for  the  pocketbook,  but,  of  course,  bad 
been  unable  to  get  any  trace  of  it 

"We  did." 

''My  unde  didn't  steal  them.  Your  unde  put 
them  in  his  hands  to  sdl,"  went  on  Tad  Sobber. 
with  sudden  boldness,  "It  is  all  a  cooked-up 
story  about  his  running  away  with  them.  And 
it's  a  cooked-up  story  about  his  having  anything 
to  do  with  those  freight  thieves.  My  unde  is  an 
honest  man." 

"I  know  all  about  the  freight  affair,  for  I  over 
heard  him  talking  to  some  of  the  other  thieves," 
answered  Tom.  "Where  is  your  unde  now?" 

"Do  you  think  I'd  be  fool  enough  to  tdl  you?" 

"Perhaps  you  might — if  I  had  you  locked  up." 


§2       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"My  uncle  is  a  good  long  way  from  New 
York." 

"I  heard  you  tell  that  man  your  uncle  would 
be  in  the  city  to-morrow." 

"I  didn't  say  any  such  thing!"  burst  out  Sob- 
6er,  but  his  manner  showed  that  he  was  very 
much  disturbed. 

"You  did  say  it.    Where  are  you  stopping?" 
"Nowhere — I  only  got  in  a  few  hours  ago." 
"Did  you  come  here  to  meet  Cuffer?" 
"What  do  you  know  about  Cuffer?" 
"I  know  your  uncle  hired  him  and  a  man 
named  Shelley  to  visit  our  farm  and  get  some 
things  belonging  to  my  father." 

"Why,  you're  crazy!  My  uncle  hardly  knows 
Cuffer — and  I  never  heard  of  a  man  named  Shel 
ley." 

"I  am  not  crazy,  and  you  know  I  am  speaking 
the  truth,"  answered  Tom,  calmly.  "Now  you 
tell  me  where  your  uncle  is  or  I'll  have  you 
arrested." 

"You'll  not  arrest  me!"  exclaimed  Tad  Sob- 
ber,  and  with  a  sudden  movement  he  twisted  him 
self  free  from  Tom's  grasp.  "You  follow  me 
and  you'll  get  the  worst  of  it!"  he  added,  and 
darted  across  the  park  at  top  speed. 

Tom  made  after  the  bully,  but  as  luck  would 
have  it  a  nurse  girl  with  a  baby  carriage  got  be- 


HE  TWISTED  HIMSELF  FREE  FROM  TOM'S  GRASP  AND  RAN. 

— Page  82. 
Koi'tr  Boys  orv  Treasure  Isle. 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  BOWERY  83 

tween  them  and  before  Tom  could  clear  himself 
of  the  carriage  Sobber  was  a  good  distance 
away.  He  turned  to  the  eastward,  down  a  side 
street  where  a  large  building  was  in  the  course 
of  erection.  He  looked  back  and  then  skipped 
into  the  unfinished  building. 

"He  shan't  catch  me,"  he  muttered  to  him 
self,  and  ran  to  the  rear  of  the  building,  amid 
piles  of  bricks  and  concrete  blocks.  A  number 
of  workmen  were  present,  but  nobody  noticed 
him. 

Reaching  the  building  Tom  peered  inside,  bui 
saw  nothing  of  the  bully.  He  was  about  to  go 
in  when  a  warning  cry  reached  him  from  over 
head. 

"Get  back  there,  unless  you  want  to  be  hurt!" 

Tom  looked  up  and  saw  a  workman  in  the  act 
of  throwing  down  a  mass  of  rubbish,  broken 
bricks,  sticks  and  old  mortar.  He  leaped  back 
and  the  stuff  descended  in  front  of  him  and  raised 
a  cloud  of  dust. 

"What  do  you  want  here,  young  man?"  de 
manded  the  superintendent  of  the  building  as  he 
came  forward. 

"I  am  after  a  boy  who  just  ran  in  here." 

"Nobody  here  that  I  saw." 

"He  just  came  in." 

"We  don't  allow  skylarking  around  here.   You 


84       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

make  yourself  scarce,"  and  the  superintendent 
waved  Tom  away. 

"I  want  to  have  that  fellow  arrested — that  is 
why  he  ran  away  from  me." 

"Oh,  that's  a  different  thing.  Go  find  him,  if 
you  can." 

The  superintendent  stepped  aside  and  Tom  en 
tered  the  building.  But  the  delay  had  cost  him 
dear,  for  in  the  meanwhile  Tad  Sobber  had  made 
good  his  escape  by  running  back  to  the  next 
street.  Tom  looked  around  for  over  quarter  of 
an  hour  and  then  gave  up  the  chase. 

"It's  too  bad,  but  it  can't  be  helped,"  he  mused. 
"I  may  as  well  go  back  to  the  park  and  wait  for 
Dick  and  Sam.  I  hope  they  caught  that  Cuffer." 

While  Tom  was  talking  to  Sobber  the  other 
Rover  boys  had  followed  Cuffer  to  the  elevated 
railroad  station.  A  train  was  just  coming  in  and 
Cuffer  bounded  up  the  steps  two  at  a  time,  with 
the  boys  not  far  behind. 

"Stop  that  man!"  cried  Dick,  to  the  crowd 
coming  from  the  train.  But  before  anybody 
would  or  could  act,  Cuffer  had  slipped  past  the 
man  at  the  ticket  box  and  was  trying  to  board 
one  of  the  cars.  Dick  essayed  to  follow,  but  the 
ticket  box  guard  stopped  him. 

"Not  to  fast,  young  fellow.  Where's  youc 
ticket?" 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  BOWERY  gj 

"I  must  catch  that  man — he  is  wanted  by  the 
police,"  answered  Dick. 

"That's  an  old  dodge,  but  it  don't  work  with 
me,  see?  You  go  back  and  get  a  ticket,"  said 
the  gateman,  firmly. 

"But  he'll  get  away  from  me,"  pleaded  the 
eldest  Rover. 

"If  he  does,  it's  not  my  fault.  You  can't  pass 
here  without  a  ticket." 

By  this  time  the  train  was  almost  ready  to 
start.  But  Sam  had  procured  tickets  and  he 
rushed  up. 

"There  are  two  tickets !"  he  cried.  "Come  on, 
Dick!"  and  he  sprinted  for  the  train. 

The  guard  was  closing  the  platform  gate,  but 
they  managed  to  squeeze  through.  The  train 
was  crowded  with  people  going  home  from  their 
day's  work  and  in-  the  jam  they  could  see  noth 
ing  of  Cuffer. 

"But  he  is  on  board,"  said  Dick. 

"I  know  it,"  returned  his  brother,  "and  we 
must  find  him.  Quick,  you  go  to  the  front  and 
I'll  go  to  the  rear.  If  you  locate  him,  tell  the 
trainman  you  want  him  arrested  at  the  next 
station." 

Without  another  word  the  brothers  separated 
and  each  tried  to  work  his  way  to  an  end  of 
the  train,  which  was  comoosed  of  five  cars.  This 


86       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

was  by  no  means  easy,  for  the  crowd  was  in  no 
humor  to  be  jostled  or  have  its  toes  stepped  upon. 

"Look  where  you  are  going!"  cried  one  stout 
man  to  Sam.  "Stop  pushing  me !"  And  then  as 
the  youngest  Rover  dodged  out  of  his  way  he 
ran  his  ear  into  the  big  feather  on  a  young  lady 
clerk's  immense  hat.  The  girl  glared  at  him  and 
murmured  something  under  her  breath,  which 
was  far  from  complimentary.  By  the  time  he 
had  reached  the  front  end  of  the  car  half  a  dozen 
passengers  were  his  enemies. 

Dick  had  gone  to  the  rear  and  as  he  entered 
the  last  car  he  saw  Cuffer  crouching  down  in  a 
seat  near  the  door.  The  train  was  stopping  at 
another  station,  and  quick  as  a  flash  the  fellow 
arose  in  the  seat,  shot  between  Dick  and  a  man 
with  several  bundles,  and  forced  his  way  out  on 
the  platform.  Dick  tried  to  follow,  but  was 
caught  fast  by  several  men. 

"Here,  don't  be  acting  in  such  a  rowdy  fash 
ion!"  cried  one  man,  in  great  irritation. 

"You  knocked  my  bundle  from  my  hand!'* 
added  another.  "It's  a  shame  the  way  some 
roughs  act  on  these  trains.  The  authorities  ought 
to  have  them  arrested,"  he  went  on  in  a  loud 
voice. 

"What's  the  trouble  in  there?"  demanded  a 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  BOWERY  87 

policeman,  who  was  on  the  station  platform  in 
the  crowd. 

"This  young  fellow  is  too  fresh,"  explained 
the  man  who  had  dropped  his  bundle. 

"I  want  to  get  off,  that's  all,"  said  Dick. 

"Well,  you  behave  yourself,"  growled  the 
guardian  of  the  peace,  and  Dick  was  glad  enough 
to  get  away  with  this  reprimand.  He  saw  Cuffer 
running  for  the  stairs  and  made  after  him  as  rap^ 
idly  as  the  density  of  the  crowd  permitted. 

When  Dick  gained  the  street  once  more  tha 
train  bearing  Sam  was  again  on  its  way  down 
town.  Cuffer  was  about  a  block  away,  running 
past  Cooper  Institute  in  the  direction  of  the 
Bowery. 

"I  may  as  well  keep  up  the  chase  and  try  to 
run  him  down,"  thought  Dick,  but  he  wished  his 
brother  was  with  him. 

At  this  time  of  day  the  Bowery,  always  a  busy 
thoroughfare,  was  swarming  with  people,  and 
the  numerous  "barkers"  for  the  clothing  stores, 
photograph  establishments,  and  the  like,  were  do 
ing  their  best  to  make  trade  come  to  them.  As 
.Dick  hurried  past  one  clothing  establishment  a 
short,  stocky  Jew  stepped  in  front  of  him. 

"Von't  you  step  inside,  young  chentleman?  I 
sell  you  some  glodine:  cheap  as  dirt." 


88       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TKbAS  URE  ISLE 

"I  don't  want  any  clothing,"  answered  Dick, 
briefly. 

"I  vos  mof  next  veek,  imd  I  sell  you  a  suit  for 
next  to  nodding,"  persisted  the  clothing  dealer. 

"I  don't  want  to  buy  anything,"  said  Dick,  and 
tried  to  push  past  the  man.  The  fellow  caught 
him  by  the  arm. 

"If  you  vill  only  look  at  dose  peautiful  suits 
vot  I  haf  for  twelf  dollar " 

The  Jew  got  no  further,  for  with  a  strong  push 
Dick  sent  him  staggering  among  the  dummies  in 
front  of  his  store.  He  tried  to  recover  his  bal 
ance,  but  could  not,  and  over  he  went,  bringing 
down  two  of  the  dummies  on  top  of  him. 

"Serves  you  right,"  flung  back  Dick,  as  he 
ran  on.  "The  next  time  you'll  know  enough  to 
leave  me  alone." 

"Isaac!  Moses!  Sthop  dot  young  mans!" 
bawled  the  clothing  dealer,  as  he  scrambled  to  his 
feet.  "He  has  ruined  two  peautiful  dummies, 
mit  fine  suits  on!  Sthop  him!" 

"Not  to-day !"  muttered  Dick,  and  dodged  into 
the  crowd.  Then,  seeing  that  Cuffer  had  crossed 
the  street,  he  did  the  same,  and  continued  the 
pursuit  on  that  side. 

But  to  follow  anybody  long  in  a  crowd  on  the 
Bowery  is  not  easy,  and  after  six  blocks  had  been 
passed  Dick  came  to  a  halt  on  a  corner  in  bewil- 


A  CHASE  ON  THE  BOWERY  89 

derment.  He  had  seen  Cuffer  last  on  that  cor 
ner,  but  where  the  rascal  had  gone  was  a  ques 
tion. 

"Want  a  paper?"  asked  an  urchin  close  by. 
"Evening  papers !" 

"Say,  kid,  did  you  see  a  man  run  past  here 
just  now?"  asked  Dick. 

"Sure  I  did." 

"Where  did  he  go?" 

"Wot  will  yer  give  me  if  I  tell  yer?"  asked 
the  newsboy  shrewdly. 

"Five  cents." 

"All  right,  hand  over  de  nickel." 

"Here  it  is,"  and  Dick  showed  the  money  in 
his  hand.  "Now  where  was  it?" 

"He  went  in  de  Sunrise  Hotel,  down  dare.  I 
watched  him  run  in." 

"What  kind  of  a  hat  did  he  have  on?" 

"A  soft  hat  wid  a  big  knock  in  one  side." 

"And  you  are  sure  he  went  in  that  hotel  ?" 

"Cross  me  heart,  mister.  I  watched  him,  cos 
he  was  out  o'  breath,  an'  I  knowed  he  was  up  to 
som't'in'." 

"Here  is  your  money,"  answered  Dick,  and 
passed  the  nickel  over.  Then  he  walked  i.o  the 
hotel  and  paused  on  the  sidewalk  to  look  the  place 
over  before  entering. 


CHAPTER  X 

DICK   BECOMES  A    PRISONER 

THE  Sunrise  Hotel  had  seen  better  days.  It 
was  a  five-story  brick  building,  blackened  by  age 
and  had  numerous  small  windows,  down  in 
front  of  which  ran  an  iron  fire  escape.  The 
lower  floor  was  used  as  a  drinking  place,  to  one 
side  of  which  ran  a  narrow  stairs,  leading  to  an 
office  and  a  parlor  above. 

Looking  in  over  the  short  doors  of  the  drink 
ing  place,  Dick  saw  that  Cuffer  was  not  there. 
He  rightly  surmised  that  the  fellow  had  gone  up 
stairs,  to  a  room  he  was  occupying. 

"Perhaps  that  fellow  Shelley  is  with  him," 
mused  Dick.  "If  so,  I'd  like  to  collar  them  both.'* 

Several  men  were  coming  and  going  and  no 
body  paid  particular  attention  to  the  youth  until 
he  gained  the  dingy  office,  where  two  men  were 
smoking  and  talking  over  the  merits  of  some 
race  horses. 

60 


DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER  91 

"What  can  I  do  for  you?"  asked  one  of  the 
men  abruptly,  as  Dick  looked  around. 

"Is  a  man  named  Cuffer  stopping  here?" 

The  hotel  clerk  shook  his  head. 

"Perhaps  I  have  the  name  wrong.  I  mean  a 
man  who  came  in  a  minute  or  two  ago — fellow 
with  a  soft  hat,  knocked  in  on  the  side." 

"Oh,  that  chap!  Yes,  he's  here — room  eigh 
teen,  next  floor,"  and  the  clerk  pointed  up  the 
stairs,  for  the  hotel  had  no  elevator. 

Dick  walked  up  the  stairs  slowly,  revolving  in 
his  mind  what  he  should  do  if  he  met  Cuffer 
face  to  face.  If  he  had  the  man  arrested  it  might 
lead  to  legal  complications,  and  the  voyage  in 
search  of  Treasure  Isle  might  be  delayed.  It 
would  be  hard  to  prove  that  the  rascal  had  done 
any  actual  wrong. 

Reaching  the  upper  hallway,  Dick  looked  at  the 
dingy  numbers  on  the  still  more  dingy  doors. 
Eighteen  proved  to  be  at  the  rear,  where  it  was 
so  dark  he  could  scarcely  see. 

As  the  youth  approached  the  door  he  heard  a 
murmur  of  voices  in  the  room  beyond.  He 
listened,  and  made  out  Cuffer  speaking,  and  then 
he  recognized  the  voice  of  Shelley. 

"And  so  I  dusted  out  before  I  had  a  chance  to 
ret  any  money  from  Bobber,"  Cuffer  was  saying. 


92       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Well,  did  the  Rovers  catch  the  young  fellow  ?" 
questioned  Shelley. 

"That  I  don't  know.  If  he  didn't  know  enough 
to  run  away  he  is  a  fool." 

"You  say  one  of  the  Rovers  followed  you  from 
the  train?" 

"Yes,  but  I  gave  him  the  slip  as  soon  as  I 
reached  the  Bowery,"  answered  Cuffer  with  a 
chuckle. 

"Well,  what  are  we  to  do  next?"  asked  Shel 
ley,  after  a  pause. 

"There  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait  until  to 
morrow,  when  Merrick  arrives." 

"Have  you  any  faith  in  this  treasure  hunt  of 
his?" 

"I  have  so  long  as  he  pays  the  bills.  I 
wouldn't  put  a  cent  of  my  own  money  in  it." 

"Has  he  got  enough  money  to  see  the  thing 
through  ?" 

"So  he  says.  He  met  the  captain  of  that  tramp 
vessel  somewhere  and  got  him  interested  in  the 
hunt  by  promising  him  a  share  of  the  find.  He 
says  as  soon  as  he  can  get  hold  of  a  Spaniard 
who  knows  the  exact  location  of  the  island  he'll 
set  sail." 

"And  take  the  Spaniard  along?" 

"Of  course.     The  Spaniard  was  one  of  the 


DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER 


93 


chaps  who  originally  took  the  treasure  to  the 
island." 

"Well,  where  do  we  come  in?" 

"He  wants  us  along  because  he  is  afraid  the 
fellows  on  the  vessel  will  make  a  fight  for  the 
gold  and  jewels  when  they  are  found.  Some  of 
those  sailors  are  pretty  bloodthirsty,  you  know. 
He  says  he  is  going  to  take  at  least  four  strong 
men  whom  he  can  trust." 

Dick  listened  with  keen  interest  to  this  talk, 
which  revealed  a  great  deal.  Sid  Merrick  had 
made  an  arrangement  to  go  on  a  voyage  after 
the  treasure!  How  soon  he  would  start  there 
was  no  telling,  but  probably  as  quickly  as  he 
could  get  ready.  More  than  this,  he  expected  to 
have  with  him  the  Spaniard,  Doranez,  the  fellow 
who  had  said  he  was  going  to  Spain  to  visit  his 
relatives.  More  than  likely  Merrick  and  Do 
ranez  were  in  league  with  each  other  and  would 
do  all  in  their  power  to  keep  the  treasure  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  rightful  owners. 

"If  only  Tom  and  Sam  were  here,"  thought 
Dick.  "Or  if  o/ily  Tom  has  captured  Tad  Sob- 
ber !  This  is  getting  lively,  to  say  the  least." 

The  men  were  now  speaking  in  a  lower  tone 
and  he  put  his  ear  to  the  keyhole,  to  catch  what 
they  might  say.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  the  door 


94 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 


opened  and  he  found  himself  confronted  by  Shel 
ley. 

"Thought  I  heard  somebody  in  the  hall !"  cried 
that  individual,  and  grabbed  Dick  by  the  arm. 

"Let  go!"  answered  the  youth  and  tried  to 
break  away.  But  Sobber  came  to  Shelley's  as 
sistance,  and  between  them  the  two  men  dragged 
the  boy  into  the  room  and  shut  the  door  after 
him.  Dick  struggled  vigorouly  even  when  in  the 
apartment  until  Sobber  caught  up  an  empty  water 
pitcher  and  flourished  it  over  his  head. 

"Make  another  move  and  I'll  knock  you  sense 
less  with  this!"  he  exclaimed  and  the  look  on 
his  face  showed  he  meant  what  he  said.  See 
ing  his  captors  were  too  powerful  for  him,  Dick 
subsided  and  was  forced  into  a  chair  in  a  cor 
ner. 

"Been  listening  to  all  our  talk,  I  suppose,"  said 
Cuffer,  uglily.  He  was  angry  to  think  that  Dick 
had  been  able  to  follow  him  after  all. 

"I  have,"  was  the  youth's  bold  reply.  He  felt 
nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  beating  around  the 
bush. 

"It's  a  nice  business  to  be  in !" 

"It  is  better  than  the  business  you  are  in." 

"I  don't  think  so." 

"I  do.  You  fellows  are  in  league  with  Sid 
Merrick,  and  you  know  what  sort  he  is." 


DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER  95 

"See  here,"  interrupted  Shelley.  "Now  we 
have  him  in  here,  what  are  we  going  to  do  with 
him?" 

"You  are  going  to  let  me  out,"  said  Dick. 

"Perhaps  we  are,"  said  Cuffer,  and  gave  Shel 
ley  a  significant  look. 

"Let  us  see  if  he's  got  any  papers  with  him," 
suggested  Shelley,  and  returned  the  look  given 
to  him  by  his  companion. 

The  look  meant  that  they  would  go  through 
Dick's  pockets  and  rob  him.  The  men  were 
thorough  rascals  and  if  the  youth  had  anything 
worth  taking  they  meant  to  have  it. 

"You  keep  out  of  my  pockets!"  cried  Dick 
and  started  to  rise  from  the  chair  in  which  he 
was  sitting.  Instantly  both  men  grabbed  him, 
and  while  Cuffer  held  him  tightly  from  the  rear,. 
Shelley  caught  up  a  towel  and  gagged  him.  Then 
a  bed  sheet  was  used  to  tie  Dick  inside  of  a  closet 
in  a  corner  of  the  room. 

"Listen,  I  think  somebody  is  coming!"  cried 
Cuffer,  in  sudden  alarm. 

"Keep  the  boy  quiet!"  answered  Shelley  and 
ran  to  the  hall  door  just  as  a  knock  sounded 
upon  it. 

"What's  the  racket  up  here?"  demanded  the 
voice  of  the  hotel  clerk. 

"Oh,  we  were  only  trying  a  vaudeville  turn,'* 


96       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

answered  Shelley,  coolly.  "We  have  an  engage* 
ment  for  next  week." 

"Well,  stop  that  noise  and  don't  break  any  of 
the  furniture,  or  you'll  pay  for  it,"  growled  the 
clerk  and  went  away.  It  chanced  that  actors  oc 
casionally  stopped  at  the  hotel  and  practised  their 
parts.  Shelley  knew  of  this,  hence  the  excuse 
he  gave  for  the  noise  made  in  rendering  Dick  a 
prisoner. 

As  soon  as  the  clerk  had  retired  differ  and 
Shelley  both  paid  their  attention  to  Dick,  and 
with  great  rapidity  they  went  through  his  pock 
ets,  stripping  him  of  his  watch  and  chain,  and 
twenty-four  dollars  and  a  quarter  in  money. 
They  also  took  a  small  diamond  scarf  pin  and  a 
ring  set  with  a  valuable  ruby.  In  one  pocket 
Cuffer  found  several  letters  and  he  likewise  ap 
propriated  these. 

"Not  such  a  bad  haul,"  was  the  thief's  com 
ment. 

Of  course,  Dick  did  not  submit  willingly,  but 
with  a  gag  in  his  mouth,  and  his  hands  and  feet 
tied  tightly,  he  could  do  but  little.  As  soon  as 
the  men  had  taken  his  things  from  him,  they  shut 
the  closet  door  upon  him  and  locked  it.  A  few 
minutes  later  all  became  quiet,  showing  that  they 
had  left  the  room. 


DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER  97 

The  closet  was  small  and  stuffy  and  in  this 
warm  weather  made  Dick  perspire  freely.  But 
without  waiting  to  make  certain  that  the  men. 
were  really  gone,  he  commenced  to  work  upon 
his  bonds  and  the  gag  in  his  mouth. 

It  was  no  light  task  and  it  was  a  good  quar 
ter  of  an  hour  before  he  got  one  hand  loose. 
Then  he  freed  his  other  hand  and  undid  the  trou 
blesome  gag,  which  had  all  but  smothered  him, 
and  then  unfastened  his  feet. 

He  was  still  a  prisoner  in  the  closet,  the  door 
of  which  was  an  old-fashioned  one  and  thick. 
But  by  bracing  his  feet  against  the  back  wall, 
Dick  got  a  firm  hold  and  soon  his  shoulder  on 
the  barrier  caused  it  to  bend  and  creak.  Then 
the  lock  gave  way  and  the  door  flew  open  with 
a  bang. 

A  glance  around  the  room  showed  that  the 
men  had  flown,  and  for  good,  for  two  valises 
which  had  stood  in  a  corner  were  missing. 

Dick  leaped  to  the  hall  door,  only  to  find  it 
locked  from  the  outside. 

"They  must  have  gone  that  way,"  he  reasoned, 
after  a  look  out  of  the  window,  and  then  he 
rapped  on  the  door  loudly. 

It  was  several  minutes  before  anybody  an 
swered  his  summons.  Then  an  ignorant  looking 
chambermaid  appeared. 


98       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Phot  does  yez  want?"  she  demanded,  in  a 
strong  Irish  brogue. 

"I  am  locked  in.    Let  me  out,"  answered  Dick. 

After  some  fumbling,  the  chambermaid  found 
her  key  and  unlocked  the  door.  She  gazed  at 
Dick  in  some  surprise,  for  she  saw  that  he  was 
excited. 

"Sure,  I  didn't  know  yez  had  that  room,"  she 
said. 

"Did  you  see  the  two  men  who  had  this 
room?"  demanded  the  youth. 

"I  did  not." 

"They  robbed  me  and  ran  away." 

"Saints  preserve  us!    Robbed  ye?    Of  phat?" 

"Of  everything  I  had.  Sure  you  didn't  sea 
'em?" 

"Not  since  this  marnin'." 

"Well,  they  must  have  just  gone  out,"  said 
Dick,  and  ran  down  the  stairs  and  to  the  office. 
Here  he  found  the  place  deserted,  the  clerk  hav 
ing  gone  down  to  the  dining  room  for  his  sup 
per,  and  nobody  else  being  on  duty.  The  clerk 
listened  to  his  story  with  small  interest  and 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Don't  see  what  I  can  do,"  he  said.  "We 
ain't  responsible  for  our  guests.  You  had  better 
go  and  see  the  police.  I  hope  you  catch  them,  for 
such  rascals  give  hotels  bad  reputations." 


DICK  BECOMES  A  PRISONER  99 

"Do  you  know  the  men  at  all  ?" 

"No,  never  set  eyes  on  'em  until  a  couple  of 
days  ago.  Then  they  came  in,  hired  that  room, 
and  came  and  went  to  suit  themselves.  One  was 
named  Brown  and  the  other  Smith — at  least 
that's  the  names  on  the  register." 

"Those  were  fake  names.  Then  you  won't 
help  me  to  catch  them?" 

"I  don't  see  what  I  can  do,"  answered  the 
clerk,  calmly.  "We  are  not  to  blame  for  this, 
you  can  see  that  for  yourself." 

Dick  could  see,  and  after  a  few  words  more,  he 
left  the  hotel,  feeling  very  depressed  in  spirits.  He 
spent  an  hour  in  looking  up  and  down  the  Bow 
ery  for  Cuffer  and  Shelley,  but  without  success. 
Then,  as  it  was  getting  late,  he  returned  to  the 
hotel  at  which  he  and  the  rest  of  his  family  were 
putting  up. 


CHAPTER   XI 

ABOARD   THE   STEAM    YACHT 

MR.  ROVER,  as  well  as  Tom  and  Sam,  had 
Come  in,  and  all  were  anxious  to  hear  what  Dick 
might  have  to  report.  They  were  filled  with 
amazement  at  the  story  of  the  robbery. 

"I  thought  I'd  wait  about  telling  the  police 
until  I  had  heard  what  you  had  to  say,"  said 
Dick,  to  his  father. 

"I  am  afraid  in  a  big  city  like  New  York  it 
won't  do  much  good  to  tell  the  police,"  an 
swered  Anderson  Rover.  "However,  we  can 
report  it  to-morrow.  But  I  think  Cuffer  and 
Shelley  will  keep  in  the  shade  until  they  see  Sid 
Merrick  and  have  a  chance  to  get  away,"  and  in 
this  surmise  Mr.  Rover  was  correct.  The  matter 
was  reported  to  the  police,  and  that  was  the  er^ 
of  it,  so  far  as  the  authorities  went,  for  they, 
failed  to  apprehend  the  evildoers. 

Mr.  Rover  was  much  worried  when  he  learned 
thj».t  Merrick  had  fallen  in  with  a  captain  of  a 

100 


ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT  IQI 

tramp  vessel  who  was  ready  to  go  on  a  hunt 
for  the  treasure.  And  he  was  still  more  worried 
when  Dick  told  him  of  the  letters  which  had  been 
abstracted  from  his  coat  pocket  by  the  thieves 
Among  them  was  one  from  Mrs.  Stanhope  men 
tioning  the  treasure  hunt  and  how  she  would  be 
on  hand  at  Philadelphia  to  board  the  steam  yacht 
with  Dora  and  the  Lanings. 

"If  Cuffer  and  Shelley  turn  that  letter  over  to 
Merrick  it  will  give  him  some  idea  of  our  pro 
posed  trip,"  said  Mr.  Rover,  "and  more  than 
likely  he  will  strain  every  nerve  to  get  ahead  of 
us." 

"His  vessel  may  not  be  able  to  sail  as  fast  as 
our  steam  yacht,"  said  Tom. 

"That  is  true,  Tom,  but  he  may  get  down 
among  the  West  Indies  before  we  can  locate 
Treasure  Isle  and  then  he'll  have  as  good  a 
chance  as  ourselves.  Moreover,  if  he  should 
land  on  the  isle  at  the  time  we  did " 

"There'd  be  a  hot  time,  that's  sure,"  said  the 
fun-ioving  boy,  with  a  grin. 

"Do  you  think  they'd  fight?"  asked  Sam. 

"Yes,  if  they  saw  a  chance  of  getting  the  best 
of  us,"  answered  his  father. 

"I  wish  I  had  caught  Tad  Sobber,"  came  from 
Tom,  regretfully. 

"That  might  have  done   some   good,  but   I 


102     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

doubt  it,"  said  Anderson  Rover.  "From  what  1 
have  learned  of  this  Sid  Merrick  he  is  a  man 
bound  to  do  as  he  sees  fit,  regardless  of  those 
around  him.  When  the  freight  thieves  were 
captured  he  managed  to  get  away,  and  he'll  try 
to  get  away  even  if  we  catch  Tad,  Cuffer  and 
Shelley." 

"I  guess  he  is  a  worse  man  than  Arnold  Bax 
ter  was,"  was  Dick's  comment.  He  referred 
to  an  old  enemy  of  the  Rovers,  who  had  now  re 
formed. 

"Much  worse  than  either  Mr.  Baxter  or  his 
son  Dan  ever  were,"  answered  Mr.  Rover.  "If 
caught  in  a  corner  I  think  this  Merrick  would  be 
capable  of  any  wicked  thing." 

"What  do  you  advise?"  asked  Tom. 

"We  will  go  to  Philadelphia  as  soon  as  possi 
ble  and  get  the  steam  yacht  ready  for  the  trip. 
The  best  way  to  foil  Merrick  and  his  crowd  is  to 
find  the  isle,  get  possession  of  the  treasure,  and 
get  away  before  they  know  what  we  are  doing," 
answered  Anderson  Rover. 

On  the  following  day  the  party  was  rejoined 
by  Songbird,  and  then  all  journeyed  to  Philadel 
phia,  taking  Aleck  Pop  with  them.  They  found 
the  Rainbow  tied  up  to  a  dock  along  the  Dela 
ware  River,  and  went  aboard.  The  master  of 
the  craft,  Captain  Barforth,  was  on  hand  to 


ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT 


103 


greet  them,  and  he  speedily  made  them  feel  at 
home.  The  captain  was  a  big,  good-natured  man 
of  about  forty,  and  the  boys  knew  they  would 
like  him  the  moment  they  saw  him. 

"Well,  this  is  certainly  a  swell  boat,"  said  Sam, 
after  an  inspection.  "And  as  clean  as  a  whistle." 

"Puts  me  in  mind  of  the  deserted  steam  yacht 
we  boarded  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,"  answered 
Dick,  referring  to  a  happening  which  has  been 
related  in  detail  in  "The  Rover  Boys  in  Southern 
Waters." 

"Wonder  if  we'll  have  as  many  adventures  as 
we  did  on  that  boat,"  mused  Dick.  "Those  were 
hot  times,  eh?" 

"We'll  not  lack  for  adventures  if  we  come 
into  contact  with  Merrick  and  his  gang,"  an 
swered  Songbird,  who  had  been  told  all  the  de 
tails  of  the  adventures  in  New  York. 

There  were  six  single  and  four  double  state 
rooms  aboard  the  steam  yacht,  so  the  Rovers  and 
their  friends  were  not  crowded  for  accommoda 
tions,  since  even  a  single  room  contained  two 
berths,  an  upper  and  a  lower.  Each  room  was 
done  in  white  and  gold,  giving  it  a  truly  aristo 
cratic  appearance.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
brass  and  nickel-plated  work,  and  the  metal  shone 
like  a  mirror. 

"I  declare  it's  most  too  good  to  use,"  said  Samt 


104 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 


when  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  "This  craft  must 
have  cost  a  sight  of  money.  ' 

"It  did,"  answered  his  father.  "But  the 
owner  is  a  millionaire  so  he  can  well  afford  it." 

The  boys  were  as  much  interested  in  the  ma 
chinery  as  in  anything,  and  they  visited  the  en 
gine  room  and  became  acquainted  with  Frank 
Norton,  the  head  engineer.  They  learned  that 
the  engine  was  of  the  most  modern  type,  and 
that  the  Rainbow,  in  spite  of  her  breadth  of 
beam — she  was  rather  wide — could  make  twenty 
to  twenty-six  knots  an  hour  in  an  ordinary  sea. 

"And  we've  got  a  licence  to  go  where  we 
please,"  added  the  head  engineer  proudly. 

Now  that  they  were  aboard  the  steam  yacht 
the  Rover  boys  were  anxious  to  be  sailing.  But 
they  were  also  anxious  to  greet  their  friends  and 
they  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  others  with  in 
terest.  Fred  Garrison  and  Hans  Mueller  came 
in  together,  the  following  noon,  Hans  lugging  a 
dress-suit  case  that  was  as  big  almost  as  a  dog 
house. 

"Here  we  are  again!"  sang  out  Fred,  dropping 
his  baggage  and  shaking  hands  all  around.  "I 
declare  it's  like  when  we  went  on  the  houseboat 
trip." 

"Maybe  I  ton't  vos  glad  to  drop  dot  leetle 


ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT  105 

drunk  alretty?"  said  Hans,  indicating  his  bag 
gage.  "He  vos  veigh  most  a  don,  I  dink." 

"Why  didn't  you  let  an  expressman  bring  it?" 
asked  Dick. 

"Not  much!"  declared  the  German  youth( 
shaking  his  head  vigorously.  "Vonce  I  haf  a 
pox  mid  a  new  hat  in  him,  und  I  say  to  a  poy, 
carry  dot  und  I  gif  you  den  cents.  Veil,  he  is 
carrying  dot  yet,  I  dink,  for  I  ton't  see  dot  hat 
no  more,  nefer!" 

"Well,  you  won't  have  to  carry  any  more  bag 
gage  for  a  long  while  to  come,"  said  Mr.  Rover, 
with  a  smile,  and  then  had  Aleck  take  the  things 
below.  When  Hans  saw  the  elegant  staterooms, 
and  the  main  saloon  of  the  steam  yacht  with  its 
beautiful  mirrors  and  rich  carvings,  his  eyes 
bulged  out  like  saucers. 

"Mine  cracious!"  he  gasped.  "Vos  dis  der 
poat  we  sail  in,  udder  vos  dis  a  poat  pelonging  to 
Mr.  Vanderfcllow,  or  some  of  dose  udder  mil 
lionaires?" 

"This  is  the  boat,"  said  Tom,  with  a  wink  at 
the  others.  "Of  course  it's  rather  plain,  Hans, 
i  but  maybe  you'll  get  used  to  it." 

"Blain?    Vy,  Dom " 

"There  are  only  six  kinds  of  baths  aboard, 
cold,  hot,  soda,  milk,  mustard,  and  cream  de  fizz, 


106     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

but  if  you  want  any  other  kind  all  you've  got  to 
do  is  to  ask  the  ship's  carpenter  about  it." 

"Six  kinds  of  paths!    Vy  I  ton't  vos " 

"And  then  at  meals  the  cook  serves  only  five 
kinds  of  dessert — pie,  fruit,  iced-cabbage,  vine 
gar  sherbit,  and  hot  lardalumpabus.  Of  course 
I  know  you  don't  like  pie  and  fruit  and  things 
like  that,  but  you'll  fall  dead  in  love  with  the 
lardalumpabus,"  went  on  the  fun-loving  Rover. 

"Vot  is  dot  lardapusalump  ennahow?"  queried 
Hans,  scratching  his  head  gravely.  "I  ton't  re 
member  him." 

"Why,  it's  a  compote,  with  frizzled  gizzardinus 
and  pollylolly.  It's  delicious,  served  with  cream 
and  salt — but  you  want  lots  of  salt,  Hans,  lots  of 
salt." 

"Maybe  I  try  him,  I  ton't  know,"  answered 
the  German  youth,  gravely.  And  then  even  Tom 
had  to  turn  away,  to  keep  from  roaring  in  Hans* 
face. 

The  Rover  boys  went  to  the  depot  to  meet  the 
train  which  was  to  bring  in  the  Stanhopes  and 
the  Lanings.  There  was  a  little  delay,  but  it  was 
soon  over  and  they  were  shaking  hands  warmly 
all  around. 

"It  seems  so  delightful  to  go  off  on  another 
trip!"  said  Dora,  to  Dick.  "I  know  I  am  going 
to  enjoy  it  very  much!" 


ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT  107 

"And  I  know  I  am  going  to  enjoy  it,  too— 
with  you  along,"  answered  Dick,  with  a  smile 
which  spoke  volumes. 

"Mother  is  quite  excited — thinking  she  is  go 
ing  on  a  treasure  hunt,"  went  on  Dora.  "But  1 
think  a  few  days'  rest  on  shipboard  will  quiet  her 
nerves." 

"I  hope  for  your  sake,  Dora,  our  hunt  proves 
successful,"  added  Dick,  gallantly. 

"I  have  always  wanted  to  go  to  the  West  In 
dies,"  said  Nellie  Laning  to  Tom.  "I  want  to 
pick  some  ripe  bananas  and  cocoanuts  right  from 
the  trees." 

"Yes,  and  ripe  oranges,"  put  in  Grace.  "Wop't 
it  be  jolly?"  she  added,  turning  to  Sam. 

"Too  jolly  for  anything!"  murmured  Sam,  and 
then  he  gave  Grace's  arm  a  little  squeeze  and  led 
her  through  the  crowd  to  where  a  carriage  was 
in  waiting. 

There  were  trunks  to  be  Jooked  after,  but  the 
checks  for  these  were  turned  over  to  Aleck,  and 
the  colored  man  saw  to  it  that  all  the  baggage  was 
properly  transferred  to  the  steam  yacht. 

It  was  with  not  a  little  pride  that  the  boys  took 
the  Stanhopes  and  the  Lanings  aboard  the  Rain 
bow,  for,  although  they  did  not  own  the  elegant 
craft  it  was  something  to  even  have  her  under 


108     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

charter.  Mr.  Rover  met  the  newcomers  at  the 
gangplank  and  made  them  welcome. 

"Oh,  but  isn't  this  just  too  lovely  for  any 
thing!"  cried  Dora,  as  she  surveyed  the  double 
stateroom  assigned  to  her  and  her  mother.  "And 
look  at  the  fine  bunch  of  roses  on  the  stand !"  She 
looked  at  Dick.  "This  is  some  of  your  doings, 
isn't  it?" 

"Yes." 

"Thank  you  very  much!  But  you  must  have 
one,"  and  the  girl  promptly  pinned  one  of  the 
largest  in  his  buttonhole. 

"This  is  more  than  comfortable,"  said  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction.  And  then 
she  sank  down  in  an  easy  chair  to  rest,  for  the 
long  journey  from  Cedarville  had  greatly 
fatigued  her. 

In  the  meantime  the  other  boys  had  taken  the 
Lanings  to  another  double  stateroom,  equally  lux 
urious.  Here  a  vase  held  a  big  bunch  of  carna 
tions,  the  gift  of  Tom  and  Sam  combined.  Nel 
lie  and  Grace  and  their  mother  were  much 
pleased  and  said  so. 

"Tom,  I  could  almost  hug  you  for  this!"  cried 
Nellie,  in  a  low  voice. 

"Well,  nobody  is  stopping  you,"  he  added 
promptly. 

"All   right,    I   will — on  your  next   birthday," 


ABOARD  THE  STEAM  YACHT 


109 


cried  Nellie,  not  to  be  caught.     "But  really,  I'm 
a  thousand  times  obliged  to  you." 

"This  is  like  a  room  in  a  fairies'  palace!"  ex 
claimed  Grace.  "I  know  when  I  go  to  sleep  I'll 
dream  of  fairies  and  rainbows,  and  pots  of 
gold- 

"The  gold  we  want  to  unearth,"  broke  in  Sam.   . 
"Just  dream  where  that  is  located  and  then  tell 
us  of  it." 

"Oh,  you'll  be  sure  to  find  that." 

"How  do  you  know  ?" 

"Oh,  you  never  fail  in  anything,"  and  Grace 
gave  him  a  sunny  smile. 

"I  don't  know  about  that,  Grace.  This  is  go 
ing  to  be  no  easy  task." 

"Oh,  I  know  that,  Sam,  but  you'll  win  in  the 
end,  I  know  you  will." 

"I  trust  we  do — for  your  sake  as  much  as  for 
the  others.  You  know  if  it  is  found  a  good 
share  of  the  treasure  goes  to  your  mother." 

"Yes,  and  that  will  be  awfully  nice." 

"Maybe,  if  you  get  all  that  money,  you  won't 
notice  poor  me." 

"Poor  you?  Why,  you'll  have  a  great  deal 
more  than  we'll  have  anyway.  You  are  rich  al 
ready." 

"Well,  if  you  'get  the  money  you  won't  forget 
me,  will  you?"  persisted  Sam. 


1 10     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"What  a  queer  boy  you  are,  Sam !  Forget  you ! 
Well,  just  try  me  with  the  money  and  see!"  she 
added,  and  gave  him  one  of  her  warmest  smiles. 
Then  she  danced  off  to  look  at  the  rest  of  the 
steam  yacht,  and  the  youngest  Rover  followed 
her. 


CHAPTER   XII 

SOMETHING  ABOUT   FIRECRACKERS 

was  in  readiness  for  departure  but  one 
thing,  and  that  was  the  most  important  of  all. 
Bahama  Bill  had  not  put  in  an  appearance  and 
was  not  expected  until  the  evening  of  the  Fourth 
of  July. 

"We  shall  have  to  remain  over  the  Fourth 
after  all,"  said  Anderson  Rover.  "But  I  imagine 
that  will  suit  you  boys,  for  you  can  stay  in  the 
city  and  have  some  fun." 

It  did  suit  all  the  young  folks,  and  they  imme 
diately  planned  a  fine  automobile  tour  for  the 
afternoon,  hiring  two  autos  large  enough  to  ac 
commodate  all  of  the  girls  and  boys.  The  morn 
ing  was  spent  in  and  around  the  yact,  where  Tom 
and  some  of  the  others  amused  themselves  by 
shooting  off  their  pistols  and  some  firecrackers. 
Tom  had  purchased  some  things  for  the  Fourth 
the  day  previous  and  he  had  one  package  which 
he  was  careful  to  keep  out  of  sight. 

ill 


112     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"I  am  going  to  have  a  barrel  of  fun  with  the 
girls,"  he  said  to  his  brothers.  "But  don't  tell 
anybody  about  it." 

"What  is  it?"  asked  his  younger  brother. 

"Wait  and  see." 

It  had  been  arranged  that  the  whole  party 
should  have  an  early  lunch,  so  that  they  might 
start  on  the  automobile  ride  by  one  o'clock.  Aleck 
was  in  charge  of  the  dining  room  of  the  yacht 
and  he  had  spread  himself  in  trimming  it  with 
red,  white  and  blue  streamers  and  small  flags. 

"Oh,  how  lovely!"  cried  Dora,  as  she  came  in 
and  sat  down.  "I  declare,  Aleck,  you  deserve  a 
great  deal  of  credit."  And  she  gave  the  colored 
man  a  smile  which  pleased  him  immensely. 

"Where  is  Tom?"  asked  Mr.  Rover,  after  all 
the  others  were  seated. 

"I  ton't  know,"  answered  Hans.  "Tidn't  he 
know  ve  vos  to  eat  a  leetle  early  to-tay  ?" 

"He's  coming,"  answered  Sam. 

Just  then  Tom  came  into  the  dining  room  hold 
ing  something  in  his  hand  covered  with  a  long 
paper  bag.  From  under  the  bag  smoke  was 
curling. 

"In  honor  of  the  Fourth  of  July!"  cried  the 
fun-loving  Rover  and  placed  the  object  upright  in 
the  center  of  the  long  table.  Then  he  took  off 
the  bag  with  a  flourish.  There  was  revealed  a 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  FIRECRACKERS 

big  cannon  cracker,  fully  a  foot  and  a  half  high 
and  several  inches  in  diameter.  The  fuse  was 
spluttering  away  at  a  great  rate. 

"Tom!"  yelled  Mr.  Rover  in  alarm.  "Throw 
that  thing  out  1" 

"We'll  be  blown  to  pieces !"  yelled  Fred. 

"That's  too  big  to  shoot  off  indoors,"  added 
Songbird,  preparing  to  run. 

"Ve  peen  knocked  to  bieces!"  groaned  Hans, 
and  slid  under  the  table  out  of  sight. 

The  ladies  shrieked  and  so  did  the  girls.  Mrs. 
Stanhope  looked  ready  to  faint,  but  Tom  whis 
pered  hastily  into  her  ear  and  she  recovered.  Mr. 
Rover  wanted  to  throw  the  cannon  cracker 
through  a  window,  but  Tom  held  him  back. 

The  long  fuse  continued  to  splutter  and  all 
watched  it  as  if  fascinated,  and  the  girls  put  their 
hands  to  their  ears  in  anticipation  of  a  fearful  ex 
plosion.  Then  came  a  tiny  flash,  a  strange  click 
ing,  and  off  flew  the  top  of  the  cannon  cracker, 
sending  a  shower  of  confetti  of  various  colors  in 
all  directions. 

"Oh!"  shrieked  the  girls,  and  then  everybody 
but  Hans  set  up  a  laugh.  The  German  youth 
looked  suspiciously  out  from  under  the  table. 

"Vot's  der  madder — did  he  go  off?"  he  ques 
tioned. 

"Yes,  he  did,  Hans,"  answered  Grace.  "It  was 


1 14     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

nothing  but  a  cracker  full  of  colored  paper  in 
stead  of  powder." 

"Is  dot  so?"  Hans  got  up  and  looked  around. 
"Veil,  I  neffer!  Looks  like  ve  got  a  colored 
snowstorm  alretty,  hey?"  And  this  caused  a 
roar.  It  certainly  did  look  like  a  "colored  snow 
storm,"  for  the  confetti  was  everywhere,  on 
the  table,  on  their  heads  and  over  their  cloth 
ing.  Now  it  was  over  everybody  was  highly 
amused,  even  Mrs.  Stanhope  laughing  heartily. 
As  for  Aleck,  he  roared  so  loudly  he  could  be 
heard  a  block  up  the  docks. 

"Dat's  jess  like  Massa  Tom!"  he  cried.  "I 
suspicioned  he'd  be  up  to  somet'ing  afo'  de  day 
was  up.  Yo'  can't  keep  him  down  no  mo'  dan  yo' 
kin  keep  a  jack-rabbit  from  hoppin',  no,  sah !" 

"It  certainly  looked  like  the  real  thing,"  was 
Mr.  Rover's  comment.  "Had  it  been " 

"I'd  never  have  brought  it  in  here,"  finished 
Tom.  "I'm  sorry  if  I  frightened  anybody,"  he 
added,  looking  at  Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Mrs.  Lan- 
ing. 

"We'll  forgive  you,  Tom,"  answered  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  and  Mrs.  Laning  said  she  would,  pro 
vided  he  wouldn't  scare  them  again  that  holiday. 

After  that,  the  confetti  on  the  table  was  cleared 
away  and  they  ate  their  lunch  amid  a  constant 
cracking  of  jokes  and  bright  sayings.  Songbird 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  FIRECRACKERS      115 

woke  up  and  recited  some  verses  he  said  he  had 
composed  the  night  before,  while  lying  awake  in 
his  berth.  Some  of  these  ran  in  this  fashion: 


'  This  is  the  day  I  love  the  best — 
The  day  the  small  boy  knows  no  rest,- 
The  day  when  all  our  banners  soar, 
The  day  when  all  our  cannons  roar, 
The  day  when  all  are  free  from  care, 
And  shouts  and  music  fill  the  air  1 " 


"Good  for  Songbird !"  cried  Sam. 
"Go  on,  please!"  came  from  the  girls,  and  the 
poet  of  Putnam  Hall  continued : 

"I  love  this  land  of  liberty 
From  mountains  down  to  flowing  sea, 
I  love  its  cities  and  its  plains, 
Its  valleys  and  its  rocky  chains, 
I'm  glad  to  know  that  we  are  free, 
And  so  forever  may  we  be  1 " 

"Hurrah,  Songbird,  you  ought  to  have  that 
*et  to  music,"  cried  Dick. 

"Maybe  I  will,  some  day,"  answered  the  would 
-be  poet  modestly. 

"I  dink  I  make  some  boetry  up,  too,"  remarked 
Hans,  after  several  minutes  of  serious  thought  on 
his  part.  "Chust  you  listen  vonce!"  And  he 
began : 


Il6     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Dis  is  <"er  day  ven  crackers  bust 
Und  fill  <Jer  air  mid  bowder  tust, 
Und  ven  you  shoots  your  bistol  off, 
You  make  a  smokes  vot  makes  you  cough. 
A  rocket  goes  up  in  der  sky — 
Der  sthick  vos  hit  you  in  der  eye  1 " 

"Three  cheers  for  Hans!"  shouted  Tom,  clap 
ping  the  German  lad  on  the  back.     "For  real, 
first-class  A,  No.   I,  first-chop  poetry  that  can't 
be  beat."   And  then  as  the  others  screamed  with 
laughter  Tom  went  on: 

"A  little  boy, 

A  can  of  powder, 
A  scratch,  a  flash — 

He's  gone  to  chowder!" 

"Oh,  Tom,  what  horrible  poetry!"  cried  Nel 
lie,  as  she  shivered. 

"Well,  I  couldn't  help  it,"  he  said.  "I  had  to 
say  something  or — or  bust!  Perhaps  this  will 
g'iit  you  better,"  and  he  continued : 

"A  little  boy, 

A  great  big  gun, 
A  father  yelling 

On  the  run. 
The  trigger  falls, 

There  is  a  roar. 
The  father  halts— 

The  danger's  o'er.'* 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  FIRECRACKERS      117 

"Tom,  you're  positively  the  worst  boy  ever!'* 
said  Nellie,  but  the  way  she  spoke  told  she  meant 
just  the  opposite. 

"I  tell  you  vot  ve  vos  do,  Tom,"  suggested 
Hans.  "Ve  vos  form  a  boetry  association  al- 
retty,  hey  ?  Songpirt  can  be  der  bresident." 

"What  will  you  be,  secretary?"  asked  Fred. 

"No,  I  vos  peen  treasurer,"  answered  Hans. 

"Hans  wants  the  money,"  put  in  Dick. 

"Dot's  it,"  answered  the  German  youth  calmly. 
"Ven  dem  udder  fellers  makes  up  pad  verses  I 
vos  fine  dem  a  tollar,  und  ven  I  gits  enough  tol- 
lars  I  skip  me  to  Canada  or  Mexigo,  hey?"  And 
he  said  this  so  comically  everybody  had  to  laugh. 

The  automobiles  had  been  ordered  down  to  the 
dock  and  were  already  in  waiting.  Each  was  in 
charge  of  a  chauffeur,  and  soon  the  boys  and  girls 
went  ashore  and  piled  in.  Dick  and  Dora,  Sam 
and  Grace,  and  Fred  got  in  the  first  turnout  and 
the  others  in  the  second. 

"Now  do  not  go  too  far,"  said  Mrs.  Stanhope,, 
"and  be  sure  and  keep  on  roads  that  are  safe." 

"And  do  not  stay  out  later  than  ten  o'clock  this 
evening,"  added  Mrs.  Laning. 

"Oh,  we'll  be  back  safe  and  sound  and  on 
time,"  cried  Dick.  "So  don't  worry  about  us." 

"Those  are  both  powerful  machines,"  was  Mr. 


1 18     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Rover's  comment.  "Be  careful  that  you  don't 
exceed  the  speed  limits,  or  you  may  be  arrested." 

"Providing  they  catch  us,"  answered  Tom, 
with  a  grin. 

It  had  been  decided  that  they  should  go  out  into 
the  country  by  the  way  of  Germantown,  and  soon 
they  were  bowling  along  in  fine  fashion  over  the 
smooth  city  pavement.  Here  and  there  they  met 
crowds  shooting  off  pistols  and  firecrackers. 

"It  is  good  we  haven't  horses,"  said  Sam, 
"This  racket  might  cause  them  to  run  away." 

"That  is  where  the  automobilist  has  the  ad 
vantage  over  a  horse  driver,  Sam,"  answered  his 
big  brother.  "But  I  must  say,  some  of  the  young 
fellows  on  the  street  are  rather  careless." 

Scarcely  had  Dick  spoken  when  the  big  ma 
chine  rounded  a  corner  and  speeded  through  a 
crowd  of  what  were  evidently  factory  hands. 
They  were  shooting  off  pistols  and  firecrackers 
and  raised  a  great  din.  Then  one  ugly  looking 
young  fellow  lighted  a  firecracker  and  sent  it 
toward  the  automobile.  It  landed  directly  in 
Dora's  lap. 

"Oh !"  screamed  Dora,  and  tried  to  draw  away. 

As  quick  as  a  flash  Dick  leaned  forward  and 
caught  up  the  firecracker.  As  he  threw  it  out  of 
the  automobile  it  exploded  close  by. 

"Do  that  again,  and  I'll  come  back  at  you!" 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  FIRECRACKERS      119 

shouted  the  elder  Rover,  and  shook  his  fist  at  the 
fellow  in  the  street. 

"Dick,  did  it  hurt  you?"  asked  Dora,  anx 
iously. 

"Oh,  it  burst  my  little  finger  a  trifle,  that's  all,** 
was  the  reply.  The  finger  smarted  quite  some, 
but  Dick  did  not  want  to  show  it. 

"We  ought  to  go  back  and  punch  his  head," 
was  Sam's  comment. 

"Wonder  if  they'll  try  that  game  on  the  other 
auto,"  said  Fred,  as  he  arose  to  look  back. 

He  saw  the  street  rough  throw  a  lighted  fire 
cracker  at  the  other  machine.  It  landed  on  the 
floor  of  the  tonneau,  but  like  a  flash  Tom  was 
after  it.  The  fun-loving  Rover  held  it  up,  took 
aim,  and  sent  it  straight  at  the  fellow  who  had 
first  launched  it.  Bang!  went  the  firecracker, 
right  close  to  the  rough's  left  ear.  He  set  up  a 
howl  of  pain,  for  he  had  been  burnt  enough  to 
make  it  smart  well. 

"There,  he's  paid  back,"  said  Fred,  and  then 
the  two  automobiles  passed  on,  leaving  the  roughs 
;n  the  distance. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE 

"Tnis  is  glorious!" 

"It  certainly  could  not  be  finer,  Dick." 

"Some  day,  Dora,  I  arn  going  to  take  you  for 
a  long  ride,"  went  on  Dick.  "I  mean  some  day 
after  we  get  home  with  that  treasure,"  he  added, 
in  a  lower  tone,  so  that  the  chauffeur  might  not 
hear. 

"That's  a  long  time  off,  Dick." 

"Perhaps  not  so  long." 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  after  this  hunt 
is  over?" 

"Go  to  college,  I  guess.  It  is  not  yet  fully  de 
cided,  for  we  don't  know  what  college  to  go  to/* 

"I  hope "  Dora  broke  off  short. 

"What,  Dora." 

"Oh,  I  was  just  thinking.  Mamma  thinks  that 
I  might  go  to  college.  If  I  went  it  would  be  nice 
if  we  went  to  two  places  that  were  near  each 
other." 

120 


A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  121 

"Nice?  It  would  be  the  best  ever!"  cried  Dick, 
enthusiastically. 

They  were  running  along  a  country  road  a 
good  many  miles  from  Philadelphia.  All  the 
noise  of  the  city  had  been  left  behind  and  it  was 
as  calm  and  peaceful  as  one  would  wish.  The 
second  machine  was  only  a  short  distance  behind 
the  first,  and  each  was  making  not  less  than 
thirty  miles  per  hour. 

"Do  you  know,  some  day  I  am  going  to  make 
a  regular  tour  in  an  auto,"  remarked  Sam.  "I 
am  sure  a  fellow  could  have  lots  of  fun." 

"You  can  have  this  machine  any  time  you  want 
to,"  said  the  chauffeur,  who  had  taken  greatly  to 
the  party. 

"We'll  remember,"  answered  Dick,  indiffer 
ently.  He  did  not  particularly  fancy  the  fellow, 
for  he  was  rather  familiar  and  his  breath 
smelt  of  liquor.  Twice  he  had  talked  of  stopping 
at  road  houses,  but  Dick  had  told  him  to  go  on, 
fearful  that  he  might  drink  too  much. 

A  hill  was  before  the  automobiles,  but  both  ma 
chines  climbed  it  without  an  effort.  From  the 
top  of  the  hill  a  fine  view  was  to  be  obtained,  and 
here  a  hotel  had  been  located,  and  this  displayed 
a  sign  which  interested  the  boys  and  girls  very 
much: 


ICE   CREAM. 

SODA   WATER.    ROOT   BEER. 
BEST   CANDY. 

"Let  us  stop  for  some  ice-cream,"  suggested; 
Songbird.  And  he  yelled  to  those  in  the  auto 
mobile  ahead. 

All  of  the  girls  loved  ice-cream,  so  despite 
Dick's  anxiety  over  his  chauffeur,  a  stop  was 
made,  and  the  boys  and  girls  filed  into  the  hotel 
for  the  treat.  Dick  lingered  behind  to  speak  to 
both  of  the  machine  drivers,  for  he  saw  that  the 
second  man  was  of  the  same  "thirsty"  type  as  the 
other. 

"Do  you  smoke?"  he  asked. 

"Sure,"  was  the  reply  from  both. 

"Then  here  is  a  quarter  with  which  you  can 
buy  some  cigars.  And  please  remember,  no 
drinking,"  he  added,  significantly. 

"Can't  a  fellow  have  a  drink  if  he  wants  it?" 
demanded  the  chauffeur  of  the  first  car. 

"Not  while  you  have  my  party  out,"  was 
Dick's  reply. 

"Well,  a  fellow  gets  thirsty,  driving  a  car  in 
this  dust,"  grumbled  the  second  chauffeur. 

"If  you  are  thirsty  there  is  plenty  of  water 
handy,  and  root  beer  and  soda  water,  too.  I 
meant  liquor  when  I  spoke." 


'A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  123 

**Oh,  we'll  keep  straight  enough,  don't  you 
wr>rry,"  said  the  first  chauffeur,  and  then  both 
of  them  turned  away  to  a  side  entrance  of  the 
hotel. 

Dick  was  much  worried,  but  he  did  not  let  the 
rest  see  it.  He  joined  the  crowd  in  the  ice 
cream  pavillion  attached  to  the  hotel,  and  there 
they  spent  an  hour,  eating  ice-cream,  water  ices 
and  cake.  Then  some  of  the  lads  went  off  and 
got  several  boxes  of  bonbons  and  chocolates  to 
take  along  on  the  rest  of  the  trip. 

When  they  went  out  to  the  two  automobiles  the 
chauffeurs  were  missing.  A  man  was  trimming 
a  hedge  nearby  and  Dick  asked  him  if  he  had 
seen  the  pair. 

"Must  be  over  to  the  barroom,"  said  the  gard 
ener.  "That  Hellig  loves  his  liquor,  and  Snail 
likes  a  glass,  too." 

"Was  Hellig  the  driver  of  this  first  car?" 

"Yes,  and  Snail  ran  the  second." 

Just  then  Tom  came  up,  having  placed  Nellie 
in  the  second  car. 

"What's  the  trouble,  Dick  ?"  he  questioned. 

"I  am  afraid  both  our  men  have  gone  off  to 
drink.  This  man  says  they  both  love  their 
liquor." 

"They  <3o.  tod  both  of  'em  have  been  locked 


124     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Hp  for  reckless  driving — but  don't  say  I  told 
you,"  said  the  gardener. 

"Humph!  This  is  serious,"  murmured  Tom. 
"I  don't  like  to  trust  a  chauffeur  who  drinks." 

"Come  with  me,"  said  his  brother,  in  a  low 
tone.  "Just  wait  for  us,"  he  shouted  to  the  oth 
ers,  who  were  now  in  the  two  cars. 

He  walked  behind  the  ice-cream  pavillion,  Tom 
at  his  side,  and  then  the  pair  reached  a  side  door, 
connecting  with  the  hotel  barroom.  They  looked 
in  and  at  a  small  table  saw  the  two  chauffeurs 
drinking  liquor  from  a  bottle  set  before  them. 
Both  were  rather  noisy  and  had  evidently  been 
imbibing  freely. 

"I  won't  let  no  boy  run  me  and  tell  me  what  I 
shall  take,"  they  heard  Hellig  say  thickly. 

"I'll  drink  what  I  please  and  when  I  please," 
answered  Snail.  "Let  us  have  another,  Nat." 

"Sure." 

"This  is  the  worst  ever!"  murmured  Tom. 
"They  are  in  no  fit  condition  to  run  the  cars.  I 
wouldn't  trust  my  neck  with  either  of  them." 

"And  I  am  not  going  to  trust  the  lives  of  the 
girls  in  their  care,"  answered  Dick,  firmly. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"I  don't  know  yet.  But  one  thing  is  settled-^* 
they  shan't  take  us  back." 


A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  12$ 

"I  think  I  could  run  one  car — if  we  didn't  go 
too  fast,"  suggested  Tom,  who  had  run  several 
machines  at  various  times  in  his  lively  career. 

"I  could  run  the  other." 

"Then  let  us  do  it,  Dick.  Those  fellows  don't 
own  the  cars,  and  we  didn't  hire  from  them,  we 
hired  from  the  owner  of  the  garage.  I  guess  we 
have  a  right  to  run  them  under  the  circum 
stances." 

The  two  boys  walked  back  to  the  automobiles. 
All  of  the  others  were  now  anxious  to  know  what 
was  wrong  and  they  had  to  give  the  particulars. 

"Oh,  Dick,  you  must  not  let  them  run  the 
cars!"  cried  Grace,  turning  pale. 

"I'd  rather  have  you  and  Tom  run  them  ten 
times  over,"  declared  Dora. 

While  the  party  was  talking  the  two  chauf 
feurs  came  from  the  hotel  and  walked  unsteadily 
towards  the  automobiles.  Their  faces  were  red 
and  their  eyes  blinked  unsteadily. 

"Stop !"  called  Dick,  when  they  were  some  dis 
tance  away,  and  the  gardener  and  some  guests  of 
the  hotel  gathered  around  to  see  what  was  the 
matter. 

"What  yer  want?"  growled  Hellig,  thickly. 

"We  are  going  to  leave  you  both  here  and  run 
the  cars  ourselves,"  answered  Dick,  coldly.  "You 
are  not  fit  to  run  them." 


126     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"What's  the  reason  we  ain't?"  mumbled  Snail. 
He  could  hardly  speak. 

"You've  been  drinking  too  much — that's  the 
reason." 

"Humph!" 

"We  are  going  to  run  them  machines  an'  don't 
you  forgit  it,"  mumbled  Hellig,  and  lurched  for 
ward. 

"Don't  you  ride  with  those  intoxicated  fel 
lows,"  said  one  of  the  hotel  guests. 

"We  don't  intend  to,"  answered  Dick.  "All 
ready,  Tom?"  he  called  out. 

"Yes." 

"Then  go  ahead.    I'll  catch  up  to  you." 

"Hi,  you  stop!"  screamed  Snail,  as  one  of  the 
automobiles  began  to  move  off  down  the  road. 
But  Tom  paid  no  attention  to  him. 

Running  swiftly,  Dick  reached  the  other  car 
and  hopped  up  to  the  chauffeur's  seat.  He  had 
watched  the  driver  operate  the  car  and  knew  ex 
actly  what  to  do.  He  soon  had  the  engine  run 
ning  and  then  he  threw  in  the  speed  clutch  just  as 
Hellig  lurched  up. 

"You  mustn't  run  away  with  that  machine!" 
he  roared. 

"Keep  away!"  cried  Sam,  and  leaning  out  of 
the  car  he  gave  the  chauffeur  a  shove  that  sent 
him  flat  on  his  back  in  the  dust  of  the  road.  Then 


A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE 

the  ear  moved  off.  As  those  in  the  automobile 
looked  back  they  saw  Hellig  arise  and  shake  his 
fist  after  them,  and  Snail  waved  his  arms  wildly. 

"We'll  hear  from  them  again,  I  suppose,"  said 
Sam. 

"And  they'll  hear  from  me,"  answered  Dick, 
"and  the  fellow  who  sent  them  out  to  run  the  cars 
for  us  will  hear  from  me,  too,"  he  added. 

Tom  was  quite  a  distance  ahead,  but  they  soon 
caught  up  to  his  car.  By  this  time  they  were  out 
of  sight  and  hearing  of  the  hotel,  and  going 
down  the  other  side  of  the  hill  they  had  come  up. 

"If  you  wish,  you  can  take  the  lead,"  said  the 
fun-loving  Rover  to  his  older  brother.  "I  don't 
know  a  thing  about  these  roads." 

"We'll  have  to  trust  to  luck  and  the  sign 
boards,"  returned  Dick. 

"It  will  be  all  right  if  only  you  don't  get  on 
some  road  that  is  impassible,"  put  in  Fred. 

"And  get  stuck  thirty  miles  from  nowhere," 
added  Songbird. 

"You  stick  to  dem  roads  vot  haf  stones  on  dem 
got,"  said  Hans  wisely.  "Ton't  you  vos  drust 
der  car  to  der  tirt  roads,  no !" 

"I  shall  follow  Hans'  advice  and  stick  to  the 
good  roads,"  said  Dick.  "I  think  the  signboards 
will  help  us  to  get  back  to  Philadelphia  sooner  or 
later." 


128     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

They  sped  down  the  hill  and  there  found  the 
road  turned  to  the  left  and  crossed  a  small 
stream.  Then  they  reached  a  corner  with  several 
signboards. 

"Hurrah !  that's  the  way  to  Philly !"  cried  Sam. 

"But  it  doesn't  say  how  many  miles,"  pro 
tested  Grace. 

"Never  mind,  we  are  bound  to  get  there  before 
dark,  and  that  is  all  we  care,"  came  from  Nel 
lie. 

In  the  exhilaration  of  running  the  cars,  Dick 
and  Tom  soon  forgot  about  the  trouble  with  the 
chauffeurs.  It  was  great  sport,  and  as  soon  as 
Dick  "got  the  hang  of  it,"  as  he  said,  he  let  the 
speed  out,  notch  by  notch.  His  car  ran  a  trifle 
more  easily  than  did  the  other  and  before  long 
he  was  a  good  half  mile  ahead  of  that  run  by 
Tom.  Those  in  the  rear  shouted  for  him  to  slow 
down,  but  the  wind  prevented  him  from  hearing 
their  calls. 

"This  is  something  like,  isn't  it?"  said  Dick  to 
Dora,  who  was  beside  him. 

"Oh,  it  is  splendid!"  she  replied  enthusiasti 
cally.  "I  feel  as  if  I  could  go  on  riding  forever!" 

"An  auto  certainly  beats  a  team  all  to  bits,  if 
the  road  is  good." 

They  passed  up  another  hill,  and  then  through 
a  patch  of  woods.  Then  they  made  a  sharp 


A  WILD  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE 


129 


turn,  and  the  car  began  to  descend  over  a  road 
that  was  filled  with  loose  stones. 

"Say,  Dick,  you'd  better  slow  up,"  cautioned 
Sam,  as  the  machine  gave  a  quick  lurch  over  a 
stone.  "This  road  isn't  as  smooth  as  it  was." 

"I  know  it." 

"I  saw  a  road  to  our  right,"  said  Grace.  "Per 
haps  we  should  have  taken  that." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  the  auto 
mobile  was  jouncing  over  the  stones  in  too  lively 
a  manner.  Alarmed,  Dick,  who  had  already  shut 
off  the  power,  applied  the  brake,  but  he  was  not 
used  to  this  and  he  jammed  it  fast  so  it  did  not 
altogether  prevent  the  car  from  advancing. 

"Oh,  we  must  stop !"  screamed  Dora,  a  moment 
later.  "Look  ahead !" 

Dick  did  so,  and  his  heart  gave  a  leap  of  fear. 
Below  them  the  stony  road  was  narrow,  and  on 
one  side  was  a  rocky  gully  and  on  the  other  some 
thick  bushes.  In  the  roadway  was  a  farmer  with 
a  large  farm  wagon  filled  with  lime.  Should  they 
hit  the  turnout  below  somebody  would  surely  be 
hurt  and  perhaps  killed. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDID  DID 

IT  was  a  time  for  quick  action,  and  it  was  a 
hicky  thing  that  Dick  Rover  had  been  in  perilous 
positions  before  and  knew  enough  not  to  lose  his 
presence  of  mind.  As  the  others  in  the  automo 
bile  arose  to  leap  out  he  called  to  them : 

"Sit  down!  Don't  jump!  I'll  look  out  for 
things!" 

Then,  even  as  he  spoke,  Dick  turned  the  steer 
ing  wheel  and  sent  the  big  machine  crashing  into 
the  bushes  to  one  side  of  the  roadway.  He  chose 
a  spot  that  was  comparatively  level,  and  in  five 
seconds  they  came  to  a  halt  just  in  front  of  half 
a  dozen  trees. 

"We  must  take  care  of  Tom's  machine !"  cried 
Sam,  and  leaped  over  the  back  of  the  automobile. 
The  machine  had  cut  down  the  bushes,  so  the 
path  was  clear  and  he  ran  with  might  and  main 
to  the  roadway.  At  the  top  of  the  hill  was  the 
second  car,  coming  along  at  a  good  speed. 

130 


WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID  131 

"Stop !  stop !"  he  yelled,  frantically,  and  waved 
his  arms  in  the  air. 

Tom  saw  the  movement  and  knew  at  once 
something  was  wrong.  He  threw  off  the  t>ower 
and  applied  the  emergency  brake  and  the  automo 
bile  just  passed  Sam  and  no  more. 

"What's  the  matter?"  came  from  everyone  in 
the  second  car. 

"That's  what's  the  matter,"  answered  Sam, 
pointing  to  the  foot  of  the  rocky  hill.  "That 
wagon — Well,  I  dedare!" 

The  youngest  Rover  stared  and  well  he  might, 
for  the  farmer's  turnout  with  the  load  of  lime 
had  disappeared  from  view.  The  farmer  had 
turned  into  a  field  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill  just  as 
Dick  turne^  his  car  into  the  bushes. 

"I  don't  see  anything,"  said  Nellie.  And  then 
Sam  had  to  explain  and  point  out  the  situation  of 
the  first  car. 

"I  guess  I  can  get  down  the  hill  well  enough," 
said  Tom.  "But  this  appears  to  be  a  poor  road. 
We  ought  to  try  to  find  something  better." 

All  those  in  the  second  car  got  out  and  walked 
•to  that  which  was  stalled  in  the  bushes.  They 
found  Dick  and  Fred  walking  around  the  ma 
chine  trying  to  learn  if  any  damage  had  been 
done. 


132     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"We  might  have  kept  right  on,"  said  Sam,  and 
explained  why. 

"Well,  we  are  here,  and  now  comes  the  prob 
lem  of  getting  back  on  the  road,"  said  the  eldest 
Rover.  "I  don't  think  I  can  back  very  well  in 
here." 

"Better  make  a  turn  on  the  down  grade,"  sug 
gested  Sam.  "We  can  cut  down  some  of  the  big 
bushes  that  are  in  the  way,  and  fill  up  some  of  the 
holes  with  stones." 

It  was  decided  to  do  this,  and  all  of  the  boys 
took  off  their  coats  and  went  to  work.  Soon  they 
had  a  fairly  clear  path,  and  after  backing  away 
a  few  feet  from  the  trees,  Dick  turned  downward 
in  a  semi-circle,  and  got  out  once  more  on  the 
road.  This  time  he  was  mindful  to  use  the  brake 
with  care,  and  consequently  he  gained  the  bot 
tom  of  the  stony  hill  without  further  mishap,  and 
the  second  machine  came  after  him. 

"There  is  that  farmer,"  said  Songbird.  "Why 
not  ask  him  about  the  roads  ?" 

"I  will,"  said  Dick,  and  stalked  into  the  field, 

"This  ain't  no  good  road  to  Philadelphia,"  said 
the  farmer,  when  questioned.  "Better  go  back  up 
the  hill  and  take  the  road  on  the  right." 

"We  can't  get  back  very  well." 

"Then  you  had  better  go  along  this  road  an' 
take  the  first  turn  to  the  left  and  after  that  the 


WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID 


133 


next  turn  to  the  right.  You'll  have  about  three 
miles  o'  poor  roads,  but  then  you'll  be  all  right, 
but  the  distance  to  the  city  is  six  miles  longer." 

There  was  no  help  for  it  and  they  went  on, 
•over  dirt  roads  which  were  anything  but  good. 
They  had  to  go  slowly,  and  Tom  kept  the  second 
car  far  to  the  rear,  to  escape  the  thick  dust  sent 
up  by  the  leading  machine. 

"This  isn't  so  fine,"  declared  Dick,  with  a 
grimace  at  Dora.  "I  am  sorry  we  took  that  false 
turn  at  the  top  of  the  hill." 

"Oh,  we'll  have  to  take  the  bitter  with  the 
sweet,"  answered  the  girl,  lightly. 

"I  shan't  mind  it  if  you  don't,  Dora." 

"Don't  worry,  Dick,  I  am  not  minding  it  a 
bit.  I  am  only  glad  we  got  rid  of  that  intoxi 
cated  chauffeur.  He  might  have  gotten  us  into 
far  more  trouble  than  this." 

Inside  of  an  hour  they  found  themselves  on  a 
good  stone  road  and  reached  a  signboard  put  up 
by  the  automobile  association,  telling  the  exact 
distance  to  Philadelphia.  This  set  them  at  ease 
mentally,  and  they  started  off  at  a  speed  of  twenty 
miles  an  hour.  Tom  wanted  to  "let  her  out,"  as 
he  put  it,  but  Nellie  demurred  and  so  he  kept  to 
the  rear  as  before. 

"But  some  day  I  am  going  to  have  a  machine 
of  my  own,"  said  he,  "and  it  is  going  to  do  some 
speeding,  I  can  tell  you  that." 


134     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Yah,  and  der  first  dings  you  know,  Dom,  you 
vos  ub  a  dree  odder  you  sphlit  a  rock  insides 
owid,"  warned  Hans.  "Ven  I  ride  so  fast  like 
dot  I  valk,  I  pet  you !" 

It  was  dark  long  before  the  city  was  reached 
and  they  had  to  stop  to  light  the  lamps,  and  they 
also  had  to  fix  the  batteries  of  the  second  car. 
Fred,  who  was  getting  hungry,  suggested  they 
stop  somewhere  for  something  to  eat,  but  the 
girls  demurred. 

"Wait  until  the  ride  is  ended,"  said  Dora. 
"Then  we  can  take  our  time  over  supper." 

As  night  came  on  they  saw  fireworks  displayed 
here  and  there  and  enjoyed  the  sights  greatly. 

"I've  got  some  fireworks  on  the  yacht,"  said 
Tom.  "I  reckon  I'll  be  rather  late  setting  them 
off." 

While  they  were  yet  three  miles  from  the 
river  they  stopped  at  a  drug  store  and  there  Dick 
telephoned  to  the  owner  of  the  machines,  ex 
plaining  matters,  and  asking  the  man  to  send 
down  to  the  dock  for  the  cars. 

"He's  pretty  angry,"  said  Dick,  as  he  leaped 
into  the  automobile  again.  "He  says  we  had  no 
right  to  run  off  with  the  cars." 

"Well,  he  had  no  right  to  send  us  off  with  those 
awful  chauffeurs,"  answered  Dora. 


WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID  135 

"Oh,  I'm  not  afraid  of  anything  he'll  do,"  an 
swered  Dick. 

Nevertheless,  he  was  a  bit  anxious  as  he 
reached  the  dock,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  sending 
the  girls  to  the  yacht  with  Songbird,  and  he  asked 
his  chum  to  send  Mr.  Rover  ashore. 

A  minute  later  a  light  runabout  spun  up  and  a 
tall,  thin  man,  with  a  sour  face,  leaped  out  and 
strode  up  to  the  two  machines. 

"Who  hired  these  machines,  I  want  to  know?" 
he  demanded. 

"I  did,"  answered  Dick  boldly.  "Are  you  the 
manager  of  the  garage?" 

"I  am,  and  I  want  to  know  by  what  right 
you've  been  running  the  cars  without  the  regular 
drivers?" 

"We  wanted  to  get  back  to  the  city  and  the 
chauffeurs  were  in  no  condition  to  bring  us  back," 
put  in  Tom. 

"What  have  you  to  do  with  it,  young  man  ?" 

"I  drove  one  car  and  my  brother  here  drove 
the  other.  We  didn't  hurt  the  machines  and  you 
ought  to  be  glad  we  brought  them  back  in  good 
condition." 

"Humph!  You  hadn't  any  license  to  run 
them." 

"We  took  the  liberty  of  doing  so,"  said  Dick. 
"If  you  want  to  get  angry  about  it,  I'll  get  angry 


136     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

myself.  You  had  no  right  to  place  those  cars  in 
the  hands  of  unreliable  men.  You  risked  our 
lives  by  so  doing." 

"Those  men  are  reliable  enough.  One  of  them 
telephoned  to  me  you  had  run  away  with  the 
autos." 

"The  folks  at  the  Dardell  Hotel  will  tell  you 
how  reliable  they  were.  I  warned  them  not  to 
drink,  but  they  did,  and  they  were  in  no  condi 
tion  to  run  any  automobile." 

"I  don't  allow  just  anybody  to  run  my  ma 
chines,"  stormed  the  man.  "They  are  expensive 
pieces  of  property." 

"Well,  they  are  not  worth  as  much  as  our 
necks,  not  by  a  good  deal,"  said  Tom. 

"Don't  you  get  impudent,  young  fellow !" 

"He  is  not  impudent,"  said  Dick.  "Your  ma 
chines  are  all  right — we  didn't  hurt  them  in  the 
least.  But  I  can  tell  you  one  thing,"  he  pro 
ceeded  earnestly.  "We  don't  propose  to  pay  for 
the  hire  of  the  chauffeurs." 

"That's  the  talk,"  broke  in  Fred.  "Pay  him 
for  the  use  of  the  cars  only." 

"You'll  pay  the  whole  bill !"  growled  the  auto 
mobile  owner. 

"Not  a  cent  more  than  the  hire  of  the  two 
cars,"  said  Tom. 


WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID  137 

The  man  began  to  storm,  and  threatened  to 
have  them  locked  up  for  running  the  cars  with 
out  a  license.  But  in  the  end  he  accepted  the 
money  Dick  offered  him. 

"Maybe  you  haven't  heard  the  end  of  this,"  he 
muttered. 

"If  you  make  trouble,  perhaps  I'll  do  the 
same,"  answered  Dick,  and  then  he  and  the  others 
went  aboard  the  yacht,  where  a  late  supper 
awaited  them.  Mr.  Rover  had  heard  of  the  unre 
liable  chauffeurs  and  he  was  even  more  indig 
nant  than  his  sons. 

"I  don't  think  that  owner  will  show  himself 
again,"  he  said.  "If  he  does  I'll  take  care  of 
him."  The  man  was  never  heard  of;  and  that 
«nded  the  affair. 

"We  had  a  splendid  time  anyway,"  declared 
Grace,  and  the  other  girls  agreed  with  her. 

Tom  had  not  forgotten  about  his  fireworks,  and 
after  supper  he  invited  the  crowd  to  the  deck  and 
gave  them  quite  an  exhibition. 

"Here,  Hans,  you  can  set  off  this  Roman  can 
dle,"  he  said,  presently.  "Show  the  ladies  how 
nicely  you  can  do  it.  But  take  off  your  coat  and 
roll  up  your  shirt  sleeve  before  you  begin,"  he 
added,  with  a  dig  into  Sam's  ribs,  which  meant, 
"watch  for  fun." 

Quite  innocently  the  German  lad  took  off  his 


138     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

coat  and  rolled  his  shirt  sleeve  up  over  his  elbow. 
Then  he  took  the  big  Roman  candle  and  lit  it. 

"Now  swing  it  around  lively,"  cried  Tom,  and 
Hans  began  to  describe  little  circles  with  the  Ro 
man  candle.  Soon  the  sparks  began  to  pour 
forth,  and  not  a  few  came  down  on  the  bare  wrist 
and  forearm. 

"Ouch!  ouch!"  yelled  Hans,  dancing  around. 
"Ach  du  meine  zeit!  Say,  somepody  sthop  dot? 
I  vos  purn  mineselluf  ub  alretty !" 

"Swing  it  around  quicker !"  cried  Dick. 

"Turn  it  in  the  shape  of  a  figure  eight!"  sug 
gested  Fred. 

"Loop  the  loop  with  it,"  came  from  Sam. 

Around  and  around  went  the  Roman  candle 
and  then  bang!  out  shot  a  ball,  hitting  one  of  the 
masts  of  the  steam  yacht.  Then  bang!  went  an 
other  ball,  hitting  the  top  of  the  cabin. 

"Hold  it  up  straighter,  Hans!"  said  Songbird. 
"Don't  shoot  somebody." 

"If  I  hold  him  ub  I  burn  mineselluf  worser!0 
groaned  the  German  youth.  "Here,  you  dake 
him,  Sam,  I  got  enough." 

"No,  no,  Hans,  I  won't  deprive  you  of  the 
pleasure  of  shooting  it  off,"  answered  the  young 
est  Rover,  and  skipped  out  of  the  way. 

One  after  another  the  balls,  red,  white  and 
blue,  poured  from  the  Roman  candle.  It  was  a 


HANS  WAS  HOPPING  AROUND  LIKE  A  MADMAN. -/'^v  fSO. 
The  Rover  Boys  on  Treasure  Isle. 


WHAT  A  ROMAN  CANDLE  DID  139 

pretty  sight,  but  Hans'  aim  was  more  than  bad, 
and  one  hit  the  bow  and  another  the  stern,  while 
a  third  whizzed  past  Dick's  ear.  In  the  mean 
time  Hans  was  hopping  around  like  a  madman, 
trying  to  keep  the  sparks  from  his  skin. 

"Throw  it  overboard!"  cried  Mr.  Rover,  who 
was  enjoying  the  fun,  but  who  was  afraid  some 
body  might  get  a  fire  ball  in  the  face. 

"Only  a  few  more  balls  left,"  said  Tom. 
"Hans,  try  to  hit  the  top  of  the  mast — don't  point 
it  downward." 

The  German  youth  was  too  excited  to  listen  to 
the  advice.  He  continued  to  dance  around.  Bang ! 
went  another  ball  and  entered  the  cabin  of  the 
steam  yacht.  Bang!  came  the  final  one  and  that 
too  disappeared  into  the  interior  of  the  craft 
Then  the  Roman  candle  went  out,  and  Hans 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"I  vos  glat  dot  is  ofer,"  he  said.  "No  more 
firevorks  for  me,  not  on  your  kollartrattons,  no!" 

"I  hope  they  didn't  do  any  damage  in  the 

cabin "  began  Mrs.  Stanhope  anxiously,  when 

there  came  a  cry  from  Aleck  Pop. 

"Stop  dat  fire  from  comin'  down!*'  yelled  the 
colored  man.  "De  hull  cabin's  in  a  blaze!" 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE  SAIUNG  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT 

THE  announcement  made  by  Aleck  Pop  filled 
all  on  board  the  steam  yacht  with  consternation, 
and  while  Hans  still  nursed  his  arm  and  wrist  the 
other  boys,  with  Anderson  Rover  and  Captain 
Barforth,  rushed  down  the  companionway. 

A  glance  showed  them  what  was  the  matter. 
One  of  the  balls  of  fire  had  struck  a  curtain  and 
ignited  the  flimsy  material.  The  fire  was  now 
dropping  down  on  some  fireworks  Tom  had  left 
on  a  chair.  Just  as  they  entered  a  pinwheel,  lying 
flat,  began  to  fizz,  sending  a  shower  of  sparks 
across  the  other  pieces. 

"Quick!  out  with  that  stuff!"  cried  Anderson 
Rover  and  sent  the  pinwheel  flying  into  a  corner 
with  his  hand.  Then  he  stepped  on  it,  putting  out 
the  fire. 

In  the  meantime,  Dick  and  Sam  pulled  down 
the  burning  curtain  and  stamped  on  that.  The 
others  scattered  the  fireworks  and  saw  tc  it  that 
not  a  spark  remained  in  the  cabin. 

140 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT     141 

"A  close  call!"  murmured  Captain  Barforth, 
when  the  excitement  was  over.  "It  is  lucky  we 
got  down  here  so  soon." 

"I  was  thinkin'  de  hull  ship  was  gwine  ter  bust 
up !"  said  Aleck,  with  a  shiver.  "Dis  chile  knows 
jess  how  quick  fireworks  kin  go  off.  I  see  a  big 
combustication  of  dem  one  summer  in  a  hotel 
where  I  was  waiting.  Da  had  to  call  de  fire  de 
partment  to  put  dem  out  an'  da  shot  out  moah 
dan  a  dozen  winders,  too!" 

"We  had  a  similar  trouble,  when  the  yacht  club 
had  a  celebration,"  said  the  captain.  "A  Japan 
ese  lantern  dropped  on  some  rockets  and  set  them 
off.  The  rockets  flew  in  all  directions  and  one 
struck  a  deck  hand  in  the  arm  and  he  had  to  go 
to  the  hospital  to  be  treated.  We  have  had  a 
lucky  escape." 

The  accident  put  a  damper  on  more  celebrat 
ing,  and  Tom  was  requested  to  store  away  what 
remained  of  the  fireworks.  Little  did  he  dream 
of  how  useful  those  fireworks  were  to  become  in 
the  future. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  Bahama  Bill 
presented  himself.  The  boys  had  been  told  how 
he  looked,  yet  they  had  all  they  could  do  to  keep 
from  smiling  when  he  presented  himself.  He 
was  a  short,  thickset  man,  with  broad  shoulders, 
and  legs  which  were  very  much  bowed.  He  wore 


I42     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

his  reddish  hair  long  and  also  sported  a  thick 
beard.  He  had  a  squint  in  one  eye  which,  as  Sam 
said,  "gave  him  the  appearance  of  looking  con 
tinually  over  his  shoulder.  When  he  talked  his 
voice  was  an  alternate  squeak  and  rumble. 

"Well,  of  all  the  odd  fellows  I  ever  met  he  is 
the  limit,"  was  Tom's  comment.  "Why,  he'd  do 
for  a  comic  valentine !" 

"I  almost  had  to  laugh  in  his  face,"  said  Sam. 
"Even  now  I  can't  look  at  him  without  grinning." 

"He's  a  character,"  was  Dick's  opinion.  "You'll 
never  get  tired  with  that  chap  around,"  and  in 
this  surmise  he  was  correct,  for  Bahama  Bill  was 
as  full  of  sea  yarns  as  some  fish  are  full  of  bones, 
and  he  was  willing  to  talk  as  long  as  anybody 
would  listen  to  him. 

"Very  much  pleased  to  know  ye  all,"  said  he 
with  a  profound  bow  to  the  ladies.  "Ain't  seen 
such  a  nice  crowd  since  I  sailed  on  the  Mary 
Elizabeth,  up  the  coast  o'  Maine,  jest  fourteen 
years  ago.  At  that  time  we  had  on  board  Captain 
Rigger's  wife,  his  mother-in-law,  his  two  sisters, 
his  brother's  wife,  his  aunt  and " 

"Never  mind  the  Rigger  family  just  now, 
Camel,"  interrupted  Mr.  Rover.  "What  I  want 
to  know  is,  are  you  ready  to  sail?" 

"Aye,  aye !  that  I  am,  and  I  don't  care  if  it's  a 
trip  for  two  months  or  two  years.  Once  when  I 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT 


143 


sailed  on  the  Sunfloiver  the  captain  said  we'd  be 
out  a  month,  and  we  struck  a  storm  and  drifted 
almost  over  to  the  coast  o'  Africy.  The  water 
ran  low,  and " 

"Well,  if  you  are  ready  to  sail,  we'll  start 
without  further  delay,"  interrupted  Anderson 
Rover,  and  gave  the  necessary  orders  to  Captain 
Barforth. 

"Good-bye  to  home!"  cried  Dick,  and  took  off 
his  cap.  "When  we  return  may  we  have  the 
treasure  safely  stowed  away  in  the  hold  or  the 
cabin!" 

"So  say  we  all  of  us!"  sang  out  Tom. 

Steam  was  already  up  and  a  cloud  of  smoke 
was  pouring  from  the  funnel  of  the  steam  yacht. 
The  lines  were  cast  off,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
the  vessel  was  on  her  voyage  down  the  Delaware 
River  to  the  bay. 

"You  are  sure  we  have  everything  necessary 
for  this  trip?"  asked  Mr.  Rover,  of  the  captain. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Rover;  I  even  brought  along  some 
picks  and  shovels,"  answered  the  master  of  the 
steam  yacht,  and  smiled  faintly.  He  had  little 
f aifeh  in  the  treasure  hunt  being  successful,  but  he 
thought  the  trip  down  among  the  West  Indies 
would  be  well  worth  taking. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day,  with  just  sufficient 
breeze  blowing  to  cool  the  July  air.  While  they 


144     THE  ROV^R  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

were  steaming  down  the  river  the  girls  and  ladies, 
and  some  of  the  boys,  sat  on  the  forward  deck 
taking  in  the  various  sights  which  presented 
themselves.  There  were  numerous  tugs  and  sail 
ing  craft,  and  now  and  then  a  big  tramp  steamer 
or  regular  liner,  for  Philadelphia  has  a  large  com 
merce  with  the  entire  world. 

"It  hardly  seems  possible  that  the  treasure  hunt 
has  really  begun,"  said  Dora  to  Dick. 

"Well,  it  won't  actually  begin  until  we  are 
down  about  where  Treasure  Isle  is  located,"  was 
the  reply.  "We  have  quite  a  few  days'  sailing 
before  that  time  comes." 

"I  hope  it  remains  clear,  Dick." 

"I  am  afraid  it  won't,  Dora;  there  are  always 
more  or  less  storms  among  the  West  Indies." 

"I  have  heard  they  sometimes  have  terrible 
hurricanes,"  came  from  Grace.  "I  read  of  one 
hurricane  which  flooded  some  small  islands  com 
pletely." 

"Grace  is  trying  to  scare  us!"  cried  Nellie. 

"Well,  islands  have  been  swept  by  hurricanes," 
said  Sam,  coming  to  the  rescue  of  his  dearest  girl 
friend.  "But  let  us  hope  we  escape  all  heavy 
storms." 

"A  steam  yacht  is  not  as  bad  off  as  a  sailing 
vessel,"  said  Dick.  "If  necessary,  we  can  run 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT     145 

away  from  a  heavy  storm.  In  a  high  wind  it'*  a 
sailing  ship  that  catches  it." 

By  nightfall  they  had  passed  out  of  Delaware 
Bay  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  then  the  course 
was  changed  to  almost  due  south.  As  soon  as 
they  got  out  on  the  long  swells  the  Rainbow  com 
menced  to  toss  and  pitch  considerably. 

"Now  you  can  sing  a  life  on  the  ocean  wave!" 
cried  Dick  to  Songbird.  "How  does  this  suit 
you?" 

"Elegant !"  was  the  reply,  and  then  the  would- 
be  poet  began  to  warble : 

"  I  love  the  rolling  ocean 
With  all  its  strange  commotion 

And  all  the  washing  wavelets  that  hit  us  on  the  side; 
I  love  to  hear  the  dashing 
Of  the  waves  and  see  the  splashing 

Of  the  foam  that  churns  around  us  as  on  we  swiftly 
glide  1" 

"Gee  Christopher!"  cried  Sam.  "Say,  Song 
bird,  that  rhyme  is  enough  to  make  one  dizzy !" 

"I  dink  dot  boetry  vos  make  me  tizzy  already," 
came  from  Hans,  as  he  sat  down  on  a  nearby 
chair,  his  face  growing  suddenly  pale. 

"Hullo,  Hans  is  sick!"  cried  Tom.  "Hans,  I 
thought  you  had  better  sea  legs  than  that." 

"I  vosn't  sick  at  all,  Dom,  only — veil,  der  ship 


146     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

looks  like  he  vos  going  to  dake  a  summersauhs 
already  kvick!" 

"You're  seasick,"  said  Sam.  "Better  go  to 
your  stateroom  and  lie  down." 

"I  ton't  vos  going  to  get  seasick,"  protested 
the  German  youth. 

"Think  of  Hansy  getting  seasick !"  cried  Fred. 
"That's  the  best  yet !"  And  he  laughed  heartily. 
"Shall  I  hold  your  head  for  you?"  he  asked,  with 
a  grin. 

"I  guess  it  vos  der  fireworks  yesterday  done 
him,"  said  Hans  weakly,  and  staggered  off  to  the 
cabin. 

"That's  kind  of  rough  to  twit  him,  Fred,"  re 
marked  Dick. 

"Oh,  I  only  meant  it  in  fun." 

"Maybe  you'll  get  seasick  yourself." 

"Not  much!  If  I  do,  I  have  a  remedy  in  my 
trunk,  that  I  brought  from  home." 

"You'd  better  give  the  remedy  to  Hans." 

"I  will." 

Fred  went  below  and  got  the  bottle  of  medi 
cine  from  his  dress-suit  case.  As  he  did  this  his 
{own  head  began  to  swim  around,  much  to  his 
alarm. 

"Here,  Hans,  is  a  dose  for  you,"  he  said,  en 
tering  the  stateroom,  where  the  German  youth 
was  rolling  around  on  the  berth. 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  STEAM  YACHT     147 

"Vot  1st  it  for?"  groaned  the  sufferer. 

"Seasickness." 

"Den  gif  it  to  me  kvick!  Gif  me  apout  two 
quarts !" 

"It  says  take  a  tablespoonful,"  said  Fred,  read 
ing  the  label  with  difficulty.  "Here  you  are." 

He  administered  the  medicine,  which  Hans 
took  without  a  murmur,  although  it  was  very  bit 
ter.  Then  he  tried  to  take  a  dose  himself,  but 
his  stomach  suddenly  "went  back  on  him,"  and  he 
let  the  bottle  fall  with  a  crash  to  the  floor. 

"Oh,  my !  you  vos  lose  all  dot  goot  medicine !" 
cried  Hans,  in  alarm. 

"I— I  know  it,"  groaned  Fred.  "And  I— er— I 
need  it  so  much !" 

"Vot,  you  seasick,  too?  Ha,  ha!  Dot's  vot 
you  gits  for  boking  fun  at  me,  yah !"  And  Hans 
smiled  in  spite  of  his  anguish. 

It  was  certainly  poetic  justice  that  Fred  should 
get  seasick  and  that  the  malady  should  affect  him 
far  more  seriously  than  it  did  Hans.  The  medi 
cine  given  to  the  German  lad  made  him  feel  bet 
ter  in  less  than  an  hour,  while  poor  Fred  suffered 
until  noon  of  the  next  day.  None  of  the  other 
boys  were  affected.  The  ladies  and  the  girls  felt 
rather  dizzy,  and  Mrs.  Stanhope  had  to  lie  down 
until  the  next  forenoon,  but  by  the  evening  of 


148     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

the  next  day  all  were  around  as  before,  and  then 
seasickness  became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

"Can't  tell  nuthin'  about  that  seasickness,"  said 
Bahama  Bill,  to  Tom,  after  hearing  how  ill  Fred 
was.  "I  remember  onct  I  took  a  voyage  to  Rio, 
in  South  America.  We  had  a  cap'n  as  had  sailed 
the  sea  for  forty  years  an'  a  mate  who  had  been 
across  the  ocean  sixteen  times.  Well,  sir,  sure 
as  I'm  here  we  struck  some  thick  weather  with 
the  Johnny  Jackson  tumblin'  an'  tossin'  good,  and 
the  cap'n  an'  the  mate  took  seasick  an'  was  sick 
near  the  hull  trip.  Then  the  second  mate  got 
down,  an'  the  bosun,  an'  then  the  cook,  an " 

"The  cabin  boy "  suggested  Tom. 


"No,  we  didn't  have  any  cabin  boy.   Next " 

"Maybe  the  second  fireman  caught  it." 

"No,  this  was  a  bark  an'  we  didn't  have  no  sec 
ond  fireman,  nor  fust,  neither.  Next " 

"Maybe  the  cat,  or  don't  cats  get  seasick  ?" 

"The  cat.    Why,  mate " 

"I  see  some  cats  get  sick,  but  that  may  not  be 
seasick,  even  though  you  can  see  the  sickness," 
went  on  Tom,  soberly. 

"I  don't  know  as  we  had  a  cat  on  board.  But 
as  I  was  say  in',  next " 

"Oh,  I  know  what  you  are  driving  at,  Bill. 
Next  the  steersman  got  down  with  the  mumps, 
then  you  took  the  shingles,  and  another  sailor  got 


THE  SAILING  OP  THE  STEAM  YACHT     149 

lumbago,  while  the  third  mate  had  to  crawl 
around  with  a  boil  on  his  foot  as  large  as  a  cab 
bage.  I  heard  about  that  affair — read  about  it  in 
:he  last  monthly  number  of  the  Gasman's  Ga 
zette — how  the  ship  had  to  sail  itself  for  four 
weeks  and  how  the  wind  blew  it  right  into  port 
and  how  not  even  a  shoestring  was  lost  overboard. 
It  was  really  wonderful  and  I  am  thankful  you 
reminded  me  of  it."  And  then  Tom  walked  off, 
leaving  Bahama  Bill  staring  after  him  in  dumb 
amazement.  The  old  tar  realized  dimly  that  for 
once  he  had  met  his  match  at  yarn  spinning,  and 
it  was  several  days  before  he  attempted  to  tell 
any  more  of  his  outrageous  stories. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

A  ROW  ON  SHIPBOARD 

"Do  you  know,  I  think  we  are  going  on  the 
wildest  kind  of  a  goose  chase,"  said  Tom,  the 
next  day,  to  his  two  brothers. 

"Why?"  questioned  Sam. 

"Because  we  are  depending,  in  large  part,  on 
what  Bahama  Bill  has  to  tell,  and  he's  the  worst 
yarn  spinner  I  ever  ran  across." 

"It's  true  that  he  is  a  yarn  spinner,"  said  Dick, 
"but  behind  it  all  father  says  he  tells  a  pretty 
straight  story  of  how  the  treasure  was  stolen  and 
secreted  on  Treasure  Isle." 

"I  want  to  see  the  island,  and  the  treasure,  too, 
before  I'll  believe  one-quarter  of  what  that  sailor 
says,"  replied  Tom. 

"Well,  we'll  soon  know  the  truth  of  the  mat 
ter,"  came  from  Sam.  "If  this  good  weather 
continues  we  ought  to  get  to  where  we  are  going 
inside  of  ten  days.  Of  course,  if  we  are  held  up 
by  fogs  or  storms  it  will  take  longer." 

350 


A  ROW  ON  SHIPBOARD  151 

The  boys,  and  the  girls,  too,  for  the  matter  of 
that,  were  greatly  interested  in  the  elegant  steam 
yacht,  and  they  took  great  pleasure  in  visiting 
every  part  of  the  vessel  from  bow  to  stern.  Cap 
tain  Barforth  did  all  in  his  power  to  make  all  on 
board  the  Rainbow  feel  at  home  and  whenever 
the  boys  visited  the  engine  room  they  were  met 
with  a  smile  from  Frank  Norton. 

But  if  they  had  friends  on  board  there  were 
also  some  persons  they  did  not  like.  The  first 
mate,  whose  name  was  Asa  Carey,  was  a  silent 
man  who  rarely  had  a  pleasant  word  for  any 
body.  He  hated  to  have  young  folks  around,  and 
it  was  a  mystery  to  the  Rovers  why  he  should 
occupy  a  position  on  a  pleasure  craft. 

"He  ought  to  be  on  a  freight  steamer,'1  was 
Dick's  comment — "some  boat  where  he  wouldn't 
meet  anybody  but  those  working  under  him.  I 
can't  understand  how  the  captain  can  bear  him 
for  his  first  assistant." 

"The  owner  of  the  steam  yacht  hired  him,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Rover.  "I  believe  the  captain  does 
not  like  him  any  more  than  we  do.  But  the  mate 
does  his  duty  faithfully,  so  the  captain  cannot 
find  fault." 

Another  individual  the  boys  did  not  like  was 
Bill  Bossermann,  the  assistant  engineer.  Bosser- 
mann  was  a  burly  German,  with  the  blackest  of 


1 52     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

hair  and  a  heavy  black  beard  and  beady  black 
eyes.  He  had  a  coarse  voice  and  manners  that 
put  one  in  mind  of  a  bull.  Hans  tried  to  get 
friendly  with  him,  but  soon  gave  it  up. 

"He  vos  von  of  dem  fellers  vot  knows  it  all," 
explained  Hans  to  his  chums.  "He  makes  some 
of  dem,  vot  you  call  him — bolitical  talks,  yah.  He 
dinks  eferypotty  should  be  so  goot  like  eferypotty 
else,  und  chust  so  rich,  too." 

"Must  be  an  Anarchist,"  said  Tom.  "He  looks 
the  part." 

"Norton  told  me  he  was  a  first-class  engineer," 
said  Dick,  "but  when  I  asked  him  if  he  was  a 
good  fellow  he  merely  shrugged  his  shoulders  in 
answer." 

One  day  the  first  mate  was  in  command,  the 
captain  having  gone  below  to  study  his  charts  and 
work  out  the  ship's  position.  Tom  had  brought 
a  baseball  to  the  deck  and  was  having  a  catch 
with  Sam.  The  boys  enjoyed  the  fun  for  quite 
a  while  and  did  not  notice  the  mate  near  them. 

"Can  you  throw  it  up  over  that  rope?"  asked 
Sam,  pointing  to  a  stay  over  his  head. 

"Sure  thing!"  cried  Tom. 

"Look  out  you  don't  throw  it  overboard." 

"I'll  take  care,"  answered  the  fun-loving 
Rover,  and  launched  the  baseball  high  into  the 
air.  Just  then  the  steam  yacht  gave  a  lurch,  the 


A  ROW  ON  SHIPBOARD 


153 


ball  hit  the  mainmast,  and  down  it  bounced 
squarely  upon  Asa  Carey's  head,  knocking  the 
mate's  cap  over  his  eyes  and  sending  him  stagger 
ing  backwards. 

"Hi,  hi!  you  young  rascals!"  roared  the  mate. 
"What  do  you  mean  by  such  conduct?" 

"Excuse  me,"  replied  Tom,  humbly.  "I 
didn't  mean  to  hit  you.  It  was  an  accident." 

"I  think  you  did  it  on  purpose,  you  young 
villain!" 

"It  was  an  accident,  Mr.  Carey — and  I'll  thank 
you  not  to  call  me  a  rascal  and  a  villain,"  went 
on  Tom  rather  warmly. 

"I'll  call  you  what  I  please !" 

"No,  you  won't." 

"Yes,  I  will.  I  am  in  command  here,  and  I 
won't  have  you  throwing  baseballs  at  me." 

"I  just  told  you  it  was  an  accident.  If  the 
yacht  hadn't  rolled  just  as  I  threw  the  ball  it 
would  not  have  hit  you." 

"Bah !  I  know  boys,  and  you  especially.  You 
love  to  play  tricks  on  everybody.  But  you  can't 
play  tricks  on  me."  And  as  the  mate  spoke  he 
stopped,  picked  up  the  rolling  ball,  and  put  it  in 
his  pocket. 

"Are  you  going  to  keep  that  ball?"  demanded 
Sam. 

"I  am." 


154 

"It  is  our  ball." 

"See  here,  Mr.  Carey,  we  didn't  mean  to  hit 
you,  and  we  were  only  amusing  ourselves  catch 
ing,"  said  Tom.  "We  have  hired  this  yacht  and 
we  have  a  right  to  do  as  we  please  on  board  so 
long  as  we  don't  interfere  with  the  running  of  the 
vessel.  I  want  you  to  give  us  our  ball  back." 
And  Tom  stepped  up  and  looked  the  mate 
squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"What!  you  dare  to  dictate  to  me!"  roared  the 
mate,  and  raised  his  hand  as  if  to  strike  Tom. 
He  thought  the  youth  would  retreat  in  fear,  but 
Tom  never  budged. 

"I  am  not  trying  to  dictate,  but  I  have  rights 
as  well  as  you.  I  want  that  ball." 

"You  can't  have  it." 

"If  you  don't  give  it  to  me  I  shall  report  the 
matter  to  Captain  Barforth." 

At  this  threat  the  mate  glared  at  Tom  as  if  he 
wanted  to  eat  the  boy  up. 

"If  I  give  you  the  ball  you'll  be  throwing  it  at 
me  again,"  he  growled. 

"I  didn't  throw  it  at  you.  But  as  for  catching 
on  the  deck — I  shall  ask  the  captain  if  that  is 
not  allowable.  I  am  quite  sure  it  is,  so  long  as 
we  do  no  damage." 

"Going  to  sneak  behind  the  captain  for  pro 
tection,  eh  ?**  sneered  Asa  Carey.  He  did  not  Kke 


<£  ROW  ON  SHIPBOARD  155 

the  outlook,  for  that  very  morning  he  had  had 
some  words  with  the  commander  of  the  steam 
yacht  and  had  gotten  the  worst  of  it. 

"I  want  that  ball.''" 

The  mate  glared  at  Tom  for  a  moment  and 
then  threw  the  ball  to  him. 

"All  right,  take  your  old  ball,"  he  muttered. 
"But  you  be  mighty  careful  how  you  use  it  after 
this  or  you'll  get  into  trouble,"  and  with  this  the 
mate  walked  away. 

"Are  you  going  to  speak  to  the  captain  ?"  asked 
Sam,  in  a  low  tone. 

Tom  thought  for  a  moment. 

"Perhaps  it  will  be  better  to  let  it  go,  Sam.  I 
don't  want  to  stir  up  any  more  rows  than  are 
necessary.  But  after  this  I  am  going  to  keep  my 
eve  on  that  fellow." 

But  if  the  lads  did  not  mention  it  to  the  cap 
tain  they  told  their  brother  and  their  chums  of 
it,  and  a  long  discussion  followed. 

"I  noticed  that  the  mate  and  the  assistant  engi 
neer  are  quite  thick,"  observed  Fred.  "It  seems 
they  were  friends  before  they  came  aboard." 

"And  they  are  two  of  a  kind,"  remarked  Dick. 
"I  feel  free  to  say  I  do  not  like  them  at  all." 

It  was  growing  warmer,  and  for  the  next  few 
days  the  girls  and  the  boys  were  content  to  take 
it  easy  under  the  awnings  which  had  been  spread 


£ 56     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

over  a  portion  of  the  deck.  Once  the  lads 
amused  themselves  by  fishing  with  a  net  and  bait, 
but  were  not  very  successful.  In  the  evening 
they  usually  sang  or  played  games,  and  often 
Songbird  would  favor  them  with  some  of  his 
poetry.  For  the  most  of  the  time  Mrs.  Stanhope 
and  Mrs.  Laning  did  fancywork. 

"Captain  says  there  is  a  storm  coming  up,"  an 
nounced  Sam,  one  evening. 

"Oh,  dear !  I  hope  it  doesn't  get  very  rough !" 
cried  Mrs.  Stanhope.  "I  detest  a  heavy  storm  at 
sea." 

"Well,  mamma,  we'll  have  to  expect  some 
storms,"  said  Dora. 

"Oh,  I  shan't  mind,  if  it  doesn't  thunder  and 
lightning  and  blow  too  much." 

But  this  storm  was  not  of  the  thunder  and 
Ifghtning  variety,  nor  did  it  blow  to  any  extent. 
It  grew  damp  and  foggy,  and  then  a  mist  came 
down  over  the  ocean,  shutting  out  the  view  upon 
•every  side.  At  once  the  engine  of  the  steam 
yacht  was  slowed  down,  and  a  double  lookout 
was  stationed  at  the  bow,  while  the  whistle  was 
blown  at  regular  intervals. 

"This  isn't  so  pleasant,"  remarked  Songbird, 
as  he  and  Dick  tramped  along  the  deck  in  their 
raincoats.  "Ugh!  what  a  nasty  night  it  is!" 


A  ROW  ON  SHIPBOARD 


157 


"No  poetry  about  this,  is  there,  Songbird  ?"  re 
turned  Dick,  grimly. 

"Hardly,"  said  the  poet,  yet  a  few  minutes 
later  he  began  softly : 

"A  dreadful  fog  came  out  of  the  sea, 
And  made  it  as  misty  as  it  could  be. 
The  deck  was  wet,  the  air  was  damp —  — " 

"  It  was  bad  enough  to  give  you  a  cramp  1" 

finished  up  Tom,  who  had  come  up.  "Beautiful 
weather  for  drying  clothes  or  taking  pictures," 
he  went  on.  "By  the  way,  I  haven't  used  my 
new  camera  yet.  I  must  get  it  out  as  soon  as 
the  sun  shines  again." 

"And  I  must  get  out  my  camera,"  said  Song 
bird.  "I  have  a  five  by  seven  and  I  hope  to  take 
some  very  nice  pictures  when  we  get  down  among 
the  islands." 

"How  do  ye  like  this  sea  fog?"  asked  a  voice 
at  the  boys'  rear,  and  Bahama  Bill  appeared, 
wrapped  in  an  oilskin  jacket.  "It  puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  fog  I  onct  struck  off  the  coast  o'  Lower 
Calif orny.  We  was  in  it  fer  four  days  an'  it 
was  so  thick  ye  could  cut  it  with  a  cheese  knife. 
Why,  sir,  one  day  it  got  so  thick  the  sailors' 
went  to  the  bow  an'  caught  it  in  their  hands,  jess 
like  that!"  He  made  a  grab  at  the  air.  "The 
captain  had  his  little  daughter  aboard  an'  the  gal 


158     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

went  out  on  deck  an'  got  lost  an'  we  had  to  fcej 
around  in  that  fog  nearly  an  hour  afore  we  found 
her,  an'  then,  sure  as  I'm  a-standin'  here,  she  was 
next  to  drowned  an'  had  to  be  treated  jess  like 
she  had  been  under  water." 

"How  long  ago  was  that?"  asked  Tom,  poking 
the  other  boys  in  the  ribs. 

"Seven  years  ago,  this  very  summer." 

"I  thought  so,  Bill,  for  that  very  summer  I 
was  at  Fort  Nosuch,  in  Lower  California.  I  re 
member  that  fog  well.  One  of  the  walls  of  the 
fort  had  fallen  down  and  the  commander  was 
afraid  the  desperadoes  were  going  to  attack  him. 
So  he  had  the  soldiers  go  out,  gather  in  the  fog, 
and  build  another  wall  with  it.  It  made  a  fine 
defence,  in  fact,  it  was  simply  out  of  sight,"  con 
cluded  the  fun-loving  Rover. 

"Say,  you "  began  Bahama  Bill.  "You— 

er — you — say,  I  can't  say  another  word,  I  can't! 
The  idee  o'  building  a  wall  c»*  fog!  Why, 
say " 

What  the  old  tar  wanted  to  say,  or  wanted 
them  to  say,  will  never  be  known,  for  at  that  in 
stant  came  a  loud  cry  from  the  bow.  Almost 
"immediately  came  a  crash,  and  the  Rainbow 
quivered  and  backed.  Then  came  another  crash, 
and  the  old  sailor  and  the  boys  were  hurled  flat 
on  the  deck. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG 

have  struck  another  vessel !" 

"We  are  sinking!" 

"How  far  are  we  from  land?" 

These  and  other  cries  rang  out  through  the 
heavy  fog,  as  the  two  crashes  came,  followed,  a 
few  seconds  later,  by  a  third. 

Captain  Bar  forth  had  left  the  steam  yacht  in 
charge  of  the  first  mate  and  was  on  the  com- 
panionway  going  below.  With  two  bounds  he 
was  on  deck  and  running  toward  the  bow  at  top 
speed. 

"What  was  it?  Have  we  a  hole  in  the  bow?" 
he  questioned,  of  the  frightened  lookouts,  who 
had  been  sent  spinning  across  the  slippery  deck. 

"Couldn't  make  out,  captain — it  was  something 
black,"  said  one  lookout.  "Black  and  square- 
like." 

"I  think  it  was  a  bit  of  old  wreckage,"  said  the 
other.  "Anyway,  it  wasn't  another  vessel,  and  it 
was  too  dark  for  a  lumber  raft." 

159 


l6o     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Is  it  out  of  sight  ?" 

It  was,  and  though  all  strained  their  eyes  they 
could  not  make  out  what  had  been  struck,  nor 
did  they  ever  find  out. 

From  the  deck  the  captain  made  his  way  be 
low,  followed  by  Mr.  Rover,  who  was  anxious  to 
learn  the  extent  of  the  injuries.  In  the  mean 
time  the  ladies  and  girls  had  joined  the  boys  on 
the  deck,  and  the  latter  began  to  get  out  the  life 
preservers. 

The  most  excited  man  on  board  was  Asa  Carey, 
and  without  waiting  for  orders  from  the  captain, 
he  ordered  two  of  the  small  boats  gotten  ready 
to  swing  overboard.  Then  he  ran  down  to  his 
stateroom,  to  get  some  of  his  possessions. 

"Is  we  gwine  to  de  bottom?"  questioned  Aleck, 
as  he  appeared,  clad  in  a  pair  of  slippers  and  a 
blanket. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Fred.    "I  hope  not." 

The  boys  had  all  they  could  do  to  keep  the 
girls  quiet,  and  Grace  was  on  the  point  of  becom 
ing  hysterical,  which  was  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
considering  the  tremendous  excitement. 

"We  cannot  be  so  very  far  from  one  of  the 
islands,"  said  Dick.  "And  if  the  worst  comes  to 
the  worst  we  ought  to  be  able  to  make  shore  in 
the  small  boats." 

"Are  there  enough  boats  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Laning. 


A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG  161 

"Yes,  the  steam  yacht  is  well  equipped  with 
them." 

The  engine  of  the  vessel  had  been  stopped  and 
the  steam  yacht  lay  like  a  log  on  the  rolling 
waves.  The  shocks  had  caused  some  of  the  lights 
to  go  out,  leaving  the  passengers  in  semi-dark 
ness. 

"Oh,  Dick,  do  you  think  we'll  go  down?" 
whispered  Dora,  as  she  clung  to  his  arm. 

''Let  us  hope  not,  Dora,"  he  answered  and 
caught  her  closer.  "I'll  stick  to  you,  no  matter 
what  comes!" 

"Yes !  yes !  I  want  you  to  do  that !  And  stick 
to  mamma,  too!" 

"I  will.  But  I  don't  think  we'll  go  down  just 
yet,"  he  went  on,  after  a  long  pause.  "We  seem 
to  be  standing  still,  that's  all." 

They  waited,  and  as  they  did  so  he  held  her 
trembling  hands  tightly  in  his  own.  In  that  min 
ute  of  extreme  peril  they  realized  how  very  much 
they  were  to  one  another. 

At  last,  after  what  seemed  to  be  hours,  bu* 
was  in  reality  less  than  five  minutes,  Anderson 
Rover  appeared. 

"There  is  no  immediate  danger,"  said  he.  "We 
must  have  struck  some  sort  of  wreckage,  or  lum 
ber  float.  There  is  a  small  hole  in  the  bow,  just 
above  the  water  line,  and  several  of  the  seams 


262     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

have  been  opened.  Captain  Barforth  is  having 
the  hole  closed  up  and  has  started  up  the  donkey 
pump  to  keep  the  water  low  in  the  hold.  He  says 
he  thinks  we  can  make  one  of  the  nearby  ports 
without  great  trouble." 

This  news  removed  the  tension  under  which 
all  were  suffering,  and  a  little  later  the  ladies  and 
the  girls  retired  to  the  cabin,  and  Aleck  stole  back 
to  his  sleeping  quarters.  The  boys  went  forward, 
to  inspect  the  damage  done,  but  in  the  darkness 
could  see  little. 

"It  was  an  accident  such  as  might  happen  to 
any  vessel,"  said  the  captain,  later.  "The  look 
outs  were  evidently  not  to  blame.  There  are  many 
derelicts  and  bits  of  lumber  rafts  scattered 
throughout  these  waters  and  consequently  travel 
ing  at  night  or  in  a  fog  is  always  more  or  less 
dangerous." 

"We  shall  have  to  put  up  somewhere  for  re 
pairs,  not  so?"  questioned  Anderson  Rover. 

"It  would  be  best,  Mr.  Rover.  Of  course  we 
might  be  able  to  patch  things  ourselves,  but,  un 
less  you  are  in  a  great  hurry,  I  advise  going  into 
Dort  and  having  it  done.  It  will  have  to  be  done 
sooner  or  later  anyway." 

"Where  do  you  advise  putting  in?" 

Captain  Barforth  thought  for  a  moment. 

"I  think  we  had  better  run  over  to  Nassau, 


A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG  163 

which  is  less  than  sixty  miles  from  here.  Nassau, 
as  perhaps  you  know,  is  the  capital  city  of  the 
Bahamas,  and  has  quite  some  shipping  and  we'll 
stand  a  good  chance  there  of  getting  the  right 
ship's-carpenters  to  do  the  work." 

After  some  talk,  it  was  decided  to  steer  for 
Nassau,  and  the  course  of  the  Rainbow  was 
changed  accordingly.  They  now  ran  with  even 
greater  caution  than  before,  and  a  strong  search 
light  was  turned  on  at  the  bow,  the  surplus  power 
from  the  engine  being  used  for  that  purpose. 

As  my  young  readers  may  know,  Nassau  is 
located  on  New  Providence  Island,  about  two 
hundred  miles  east  of  the  lower  coast  of  Florida. 
It  is  under  British  rule  and  contains  about  fifteen 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  more  or  less  of  a 
health  resort  and  is  visited  by  many  tourists,  con 
sequently  there  are  several  good  hotels  and  many 
means  of  spending  a  few  days  there  profitably. 

The  run  to  Nassau  was  made  without  further 
mishaps,  and  immediately  on  arriving  the  steam 
yacht  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  some  builders 
.vho  promised  to  make  the  needed  repairs  with 
out  delay.  The  entire  crew  remained  on  board, 
as  did  Aleck  Pop,  but  the  Rovers  and  their  friends 
put  up  at  a  leading  hotel  for  the  time  being. 

After  the  run  on  shipboard  from  Philadelphia 
to  the  Bahamas,  the  ladies  and  girls  were  glad 


164     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

enough  to  set  foot  again  on  land.  After  one  day 
of  quietness  at  the  hotel  the  party  went  out  car 
riage  riding,  and,  of  course,  the  boys  went  along. 
They  saw  not  a  few  unusual  sights,  and  were 
glad  they  had  their  cameras  with  them. 

"We'll  have  a  dandy  lot  of  pictures  by  the  time 
we  get  home,"  said  Sam. 

"There  is  one  picture  I  want  more  than  any 
other,"  said  Tom. 

"One  of  Nellie,  I  suppose,"  and  Sam  winked. 

"Oh,  I've  got  that  already,"  answered  the  fun- 
loving  Rover  unabashed. 

"What's  that  you  want?"  asked  Songbird. 

"A  picture  of  that  treasure  cave  with  us  load 
ing  the  treasure  on  the  yacht." 

"Now  you  are  talking,  Tom!"  cried  his  older 
brother.  "We  all  want  that.  I  am  sorry  we 
have  been  delayed  here." 

"How  long  vos  ve  going  to  sthay  here  ?"  ques 
tioned  Hans. 

"The  repairs  will  take  the  best  part  of  a  week, 
so  the  ship  builders  said." 

"Ain't  you  afraid  dot  Sid  Merrick  got  ahead  of 
you?" 

"I  don't  know.  He  may  be  on  his  way  now, 
or  he  may  not  have  started  yet  from  New  York." 

"Oh,  I  hope  we  don't  meet  Merrick,  or  Sob- 
ber  either !"  cried  Dora. 


A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG  165 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  town  was  a  fine  flower 
garden  where  roses  of  unusual  beauty  were 
grown.  One  day  the  girls  and  ladies  visited  this 
and  Dick  and  Songbird  went  along.  In  the 
meantime  Tom  and  Sam  walked  down  to  the 
docks,  to  see  how  the  repairs  to  the  Rainbow  were 
progressing,  and  also  to  look  at  the  vessels  going 
out  and  coming  in. 

"A  vessel  is  due  from  New  York,"  said  Tom. 
"I  heard  them  talking  about  it  at  the  hotel." 

"Let  us  see  if  there  is  anybody  on  board  we 
know,"  answered  his  brother. 

They  walked  to  the  spot  where  the  people  were 
to  come  in,  and  there  learned  that  the  steamer 
had  sent  its  passengers  ashore  an  hour  before.  A 
few  were  at  the  dock,  taking  care  of  some  bag 
gage  which  had  been  detained  by  the  custom 
house  officials. 

"Well,  I  never!"  exclaimed  Tom.  "If  there 
isn't  Peter  Slade !  What  can  he  be  doing  here  ?" 

Peter  Slade  had  once  been  a  pupil  at  Putnam 
Hall.  He  had  been  something  of  a  bully,  al 
though  not  as  bad  as  Tad  Sobber.  The  boys  had 
often  played  tricks  on  him  and  once  Peter  had 
gotten  so  angry  he  had  left  the  school  and  neve* 
come  back. 

"Let  us  go  and  speak  to  him,"  said  Sam. 


166     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Maybe  he  won't  speak,  Sam.  He  was  awful 
angry  at  us  when  he  left  the  Hall." 

"If  he  doesn't  want  to  speak  he  tan  do  the  other 
thing,"  said  the  youngest  Rover.  "Perhaps  he'll 
be  glad  to  meet  somebody  in  this  out-of-the-way 
place." 

They  walked  over  to  where  Peter  Blade  stood 
and  both  spoke  at  once.  The  other  lad  was 
startled  at  first  and  then  he  scowled. 

"Humph!  you  down  here?"  he  said,  shortly. 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom,  pleasantly  enough. 
"Did  you  just  get  in  on  the  steamer  ?" 

"I  don't  know  as  that  is  any  of  your  business, 
Tom  Rover !" 

"It  isn't,  and  if  you  don't  want  to  speak  civilly, 
Slade,  you  haven't  got  to  speak  at  all,"  said  Tom, 
and  started  to  move  away,  followed  by  his 
brother. 

"Say,  did  you  meet  Tad  Sobber  and  his 

un "  And  then  Peter  Slade  stopped  short  in 

some  confusion. 

"Did  we  meet  who  ?"  demanded  Tom,  wheeling 
around  in  some  astonishment. 

"Never  mind,"  growled  Peter  Slade. 

"Were  they  on  the  steamer?"  asked  Sam. 

"I'm  not  saying  anything  about  it." 

"Look  here,  Slade,  if  they  were  on  the  steamer 
we  want  to  know  it,"  came  from  Tom. 


A  MISHAP  IN  THE  FOG  167 

"Really?"  and  the  former  bully  of  the  Hall  put 
as  much  of  a  sneer  as  possible  into  the  word. 

"We  do,  and  you  have  got  to  tell  us." 

"I  don't  see  why." 

"You  will  if  you  are  honest,"  said  Sam.  "You 
know  as  well  as  I  do  that  Tad  Sobber's  uncle  is 
a  rascal  and  ought  to  be  in  prison." 

"Tad  says  it  isn't  so — that  his  uncle  didn't  take 
those  bonds — that  they  were  placed  in  his  care 
to  be  sold  at  a  profit,  if  possible." 

"When  did  Tad  tell  you  that?" 

"Only  a  couple  of  days  ago — I  mean  he  told 
me,  and  that's  enough." 

"Then  he  told  you  while  you  were  on  the 
steamer,"  put  in  Tom. 

"Yes,  if  you  must  know."  Peter  Slade's  face 
took  on  a  cunning  look.  "I  guess  Mr.  Merrick 
and  Tad  will  trim  you  good  and  proper  soon." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

"Oh,  I  know  a  thing  or  two." 

"Did  they  tell  you  what  had  brought  them 
down  here?" 

"Maybe  they  did." 
,     "Who  was  with  them?" 

"You  had  better  ask  them." 
I     "Where  are  they?" 

"That's  for  you  to  find  out" 

"See  here,  Slade,  this  is  no  way  to  talk,"  went 


168     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

on  Tom  earnestly.  "If  you  know  anything  about 
Sid  Merrick  and  his  plans  you  had  better  tell  us 
about  them.  If  you  don't  I  shall  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  are  in  league  with  that  rascai 
and  act  accordingly." 

"Yes,  and  that  may  mean  arrest  for  you/' 
added  Sam. 

Peter  Slade  was  a  coward  at  heart,  and  these 
suggestive  words  made  him  turn  pale. 

"I  am  not  in  league  with  them,"  he  cried 
hastily.  "I  met  them  on  the  steamer  by  accident. 
Tad  told  me  he  and  his  uncle  were  going  to  get 
the  best  of  you,  but  how  he  didn't  say." 

"Who  was  with  them,  come,  out  with  it." 

"A  Spaniard  named  Doranez." 

"Doranez!"  cried  both  the  Rover  boys  and 
looked  suggestively  at  each  other. 

"Yes,  do  you  know  him?" 

"We  know  of  him,"  answered  Tom  slowly. 
"Where  did  they  go?" 

"I  don't  know  exactly." 

"Don't  you  know  at  all?" 

"They  were  going  to  look  for  some  tramp 
steamer  that  was  to  be  here.  If  they  found  her 
they  were  going  to  sail  at  once  to  some  other 
island,"  answered  Peter  Slade. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  NEW  DECK  HAND 

HAVING  said  so  much,  Peter  Slade  seemed 
more  inclined  to  talk,  one  reason  being  that  he 
wanted  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the  mystery  which 
had  brought  Tad  Sobber  and  his  uncle  to  that 
part  of  the  globe.  Tad  had  hinted  of  great 
wealth,  and  of  getting  the  best  of  the  Rovers  and 
some  other  people,  but  had  not  gone  into  any 
details. 

Peter  said  he  had  come  to  Nassau  to  join  his 
mother,  who  was  stopping  there  for  her  health. 
His  father  was  coming  on  later,  and  then  the 
family  was  going  across  the  ocean. 

"I  know  there  is  something  up  between  your 
crowd  and  the  Merrick  crowd,"  said  the  youth. 
"You  are  both  after  something,  ain't  you?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom. 

"What?" 

"I  can't  tell  you  that,  Slade.  It's  something 
quite  valuable,  though." 

"Well,  I  guess  Sobber's  uncle  will  get  ahead 
of  you." 

160 


170     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Perhaps  so.  What  is  the  name  of  the  tramp 
steamer  he  is  looking  for?" 

"The  Josephine" 

"Was  she  to  be  here?" 

"They  hoped  she  would  be." 

"Were  they  going  to  hire  her?"  asked  Sam. 

"I  suppose  so." 

"Then  Merrick  had  money." 

"Yes,  he  had  some,  and  that  Spaniard  had 
some,  too." 

A  little  more  conversation  followed,  and  then 
the  Rover  boys  asked  Slade  where  he  was  going 
to  stop,  and  said  they  might  see  him  later. 

"This  is  mighty  interesting,"  remarked  Tom, 
as  he  and  his  brother  hurried  to  their  hotel.  "We 
must  tell  father  of  this  without  delay." 

But  Mr.  Rover  could  not  be  found  until  that 
evening,  when  the  party  came  back  from  the  visit 
to  the  flower  gardens.  He  listened  with  deep  in 
terest  to  what  was  said,  and  then  went  off  on  a 
hunt  for  Sid  Merrick  and  the  tramp  steamer 
Josephine  without  delay. 

Nothing  was  discovered  that  night,  but  a  little 
before  noon  of  the  day  following  they  learned 
that  a  tramp  steamer  had  appeared  in  the  harbor, 
taken  several  persons  on  board,  and  then  steamed 
away  again. 

"Can  you  tell  me  the  name  of  that  craft  ?" 


THE  NEW  DECK  HAND  171 

asked  Anderson  Rover  of  the  man  who  gave  him 
this  information. 

"She  was  the  Josephine,  sir,  of  Charleston, 
Captain  Sackwell." 

"Was  she  loaded?" 

"I  think  not,  sir." 

"How  many  persons  got  aboard?" 

"Five  or  six." 

"One  of  them  a  young  fellow?" 

"Yes,  sir,  and  one  was  a  fellow  who  was  very 
dark." 

Mr.  Rover  knew  that  Doranez  was  very  dark, 
and  he  rightfully  surmised  that  the  party  had 
been  made  up  of  Merrick,  Tad,  Doranez,  Cuffer 
and  Shelley. 

"This  is  certainly  a  serious  turn  of  affairs,"" 
said  he  to  his  sons.  "While  we  have  beea  losing; 
time  in  Philadelphia  and  elsewhere,  Sid  Merrick 
has  gone  to  work,  gotten  somebody  to  let  him 
have  this  tramp  steamer,  and  now,  in  company 
with  Doranez,  is  off  to  locate  Treasure  Isle  and 
the  treasure.  It  looks  to  me  as  if  it  might  be  a 
race  between  us  after  all." 

"Yes,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  we  are  laid 
up  for  repairs,"  said  Dick,  with  almost  a  groan 
in  his  voice. 

"Hovs  long  must  we  remain  here?"  asked  Sam, 
"Can't  they  hurry  the  job  somehow?" 


172     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Let  us  offer  'em  more  money  to  hurry,"  sug 
gested  Tom. 

The  suggestion  to  offer  more  money  was  car 
ried  out,  and  the  ship  builders  promised  to  have 
the  Rainboiv  fit  for  sailing  by  the  following  af 
ternoon.  The  paint  on  the  new  work  would  not 
be  dry,  but  that  would  not  matter. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  they  were  to  sail  a 
man  applied  to  Captain  Barforth  for  a  position. 
He  said  he  had  been  a  fireman  on  an  ocean  liner, 
but  had  lost  three  fingers  in  some  machinery  and 
been  discharged. 

"I  am  hard  up,"  he  pleaded.  "I'll  work  for 
almost  anything." 

The  captain  was  kind-hearted,  and  as  the 
Rainbow  could  use  another  deck  hand  he  told 
the  man  to  bring  his  luggage  aboard,  which  the 
fellow  did.  The  newcomer's  name  was  Walt 
Wingate,  and  he  did  his  best  to  make  friends 
with  everybody  on  board.  He  had  a  low,  musi 
cal  voice,  and  was  frequently  whistling  popular 
airs. 

"He's  an  odd  one,"  said  Dick,  after  noticing 
the  new  deck  hand  several  times.     "He 
real  nice  and  yet " 

"You  don't  like  him,"  finished  Sam. 

"That's  it,  Sam." 

"'Neither  do  I,  and  I  can't  tell  why." 


THE  NEW  DECK  HAND  173 

"Well,  he  hasn't  anything  to  do  with  us.  If 
he's  a  good  man  I'm  glad  the  captain  gave  him 
a  job.  It's  tough  luck  to  lose  your  fingers,  espe 
cially  if  you  must  work  for  a  living." 

By  five  o'clock  the  steam  yacht  had  left  the 
harbor  of  Nassau  and  was  standing  out  to  sea 
once  more.  The  course  was  again  southward, 
around  the  western  extremity  of  Cuba.  During 
the  following  days  they  passed  numerous  islands 
and  keys,  as  they  are  called,  but  generally  at  such 
a  distance  that  the  shores  could  be  seen  but 
faintly. 

To  make  sure  of  what  he  was  doing,  Anderson 
Rover  held  several  consultations  with  Captain 
Barforth,  and  Bahama  Bill  was  closely  questioned 
regarding  the  location  of  Treasure  Isle.  The  old 
tar  stuck  to  the  story  he  had  told  so  often,  and 
went  over  numerous  maps  with  the  commander 
of  the  steam  yacht. 

"He  has  the  location  pretty  well  fixed  in  his 
head — unless  the  whole  thing  is  a  fairy  tale,"  was 
Captain  Barforth's  comment. 

While  one  of  these  talks  was  going  on,  Dick, 
who  was  on  deck,  chanced  to  go  below  in  a 
hurry.  As  he  passed  down  the  companionway 
he  encountered  Walt  Wingate,  who  had  been 
listening  at  the  cabin  doorway. 


174     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Hullo,  what  do  you  want?"  demanded  Dick, 
for  the  man's  face  had  a  guilty  look  on  it. 

"Why — er — my  handkerchief  blew  down  here 
and  I  came  down  to  get  it,"  answered  the  new 
deck  hand,  and  pointed  to  the  cloth  in  question 
sticking  out  of  his  pocket. 

"Is  that  all?" 

"That's  all,  sir,"  answered  Wingate,  and 
touching  his  cap  he  slouched  off.  Then  he 
turned  back.  "Sorry  if  I  disturbed  anybody,"  he 
added. 

"Oh,  I  suppose  it  is  all  right,"  returned  Dick, 
but  he  was  by  no  means  satisfied,  although  he 
could  not  tell  exactly  why.  There  was  some 
thing  about  the  new  deck  hand  that  did  not  "ring 
true."  At  first  he  thought  to  speak  to  his  parent 
about  the  occurrence,  but  then  concluded  not  to 
worry  his  father. 

Knowing  that  it  was  now  a  race  between  the 
Rainbow  and  the  Josephine  for  Treasure  Isle, 
Captain  Barforth  crowded  on  all  steam.  The 
course  of  the  steam  yacht  was  fairly  well  laid 
out,  but  it  contained  many  turns  and  twists,  due 
to  the  many  keys  located  in  these  waters. 

"We  don't  want  to  run  on  any  hidden  reef," 
said  the  master  of  the  vessel.  "If  we  do  we  may 
go  down  or  be  laid  up  for  a  long  while  for  re- 


THE  NEW  DECK  HAND  175 

pairs.  These  waters  are  fairly  well  charted,  but 
there  is  still  a  great  deal  to  be  learned  about 
them.  From  time  to  time  they  have  had  earth 
quakes  down  here,  and  volcano  eruptions,  and 
the  bottom  is  constantly  shifting." 

On  the  second  night  out  from  Nassau,  Sam,  for 
some  reason,  could  not  sleep.  He  tumbled  and 
tossed  in  his  berth  for  two  hours,  and  then,  feel« 
ing  that  some  fresh  air  might  do  him  good, 
dressed  in  part  and  went  on  deck. 

It  was  not  a  very  clear  night,  and  but  few  stars 
shone  in  the  firmament.  In  the  darkness  the  lad 
walked  first  to  one  side  of  the  steam  yacht  and 
then  to  the  other.  Then  he  strolled  toward  trie 
bow,  to  have  a  little  chat  with  the  lookout. 

As  he  walked  along  the  side  of  the  cabin  he 
became  aware  of  a  figure  leaning  over  the  rail, 
gazing  far  down  into  the  cea.  By  the  man's 
•general  form  he  made  the  follow  out  to  be  Walt 
Wingate.  The  deck  han<£  had  hold  of  some 
thing,  although  what  it  was  bam  could  not  tell. 

At  first  the  youngest  Rover  was  going  to  call 
to  the  man  and  ask  him  what  he  was  doing.  But 
he  remained  silent,  and  stepped  into  the  shadow 
of  the  cabin  as  Wingate  left  the  rail  and  crossed 
to  the  other  side  of  the  yacht.  From  under  some 
coils  of  rope  the  deck  hand  brought  forth  some 
thing,  lifted  it  over  the  rail  and  dropped  it  gently 


176     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ,SLE 

into  the  sea.  Then  he  leaned  far  over  the  rail 
as  before,  and  this  lasted  two  or  three  minutes. 

"He  is  certainly  up  to  something  out  of  the 
ordinary,"  thought  Sam.  "I  wonder  if  he  is 
fishing?  If  he  is,  it  seems  to  me  it  is  a  queer  way 
to  go  at  it." 

As  Wingate  left  the  rail  he  walked  directly  to 
where  the  boy  stood.  When  he  discovered  Sam 
he  started  back  as  if  confronted  by  a  ghost. 

"Oh — er — didn't  know  anybody  was  up,"  he 
stammered. 

"It  was  so  hot  in  my  stateroom  I  couldn't 
sleep,"  answered  Sam.  "I  came  out  to  get  the 
air." 

"It's  almost  as  hot  on  deck  as  it  is  anywhere," 
said  the  deck  hand,  and  his  tone  had  little  oi 
cordiality  in  it. 

"I  think  I'll  go  forward  and  try  it  there." 

"Yes,  it's  a  little  breezier  at  the  bow,  sir.  By 
the  way,  did  you — er— *see  me  trying  to  catch 
some  of  those  firefish  just  now  ?" 

"I  saw  you  doing  something,  I  didn't  see 
what." 

"I  thought  I  might  get  one,  but  Ihey  are  all 
gone  now,"  answered  Wingate,  and  slouched  off, 
whistling  in  that  peculiar  manner  of  his. 

Sam  walked  slowly  to  the  bow.  As  he  d:d 
this,  Wingate  turned  to  look  at  him  in  a  specu 
lative  way. 


"Wonder  if  the  young  fool  saw  what  I  was  up 
to?"  he  muttered.  "If  he  did  I'd  better  go  slow. 
I  don't  want  to  get  caught.  They  might  treat 
me  pretty  roughly." 

The  watch  on  deck  was  changed  and  Wingate 
went  below.  Asa  Carey  was  in  command  of  the 
yacht  and  he,  too,  wanted  to  know  why  Sam  was 
up  at  such  a  late  hour.  The  boy  told  him,  but 
said  nothing  to  the  mate  of  Wingate's  strange 
actions. 

When  Sam  turned  in,  Dick  wanted  to  know  if 
he  was  sick. 

"No,  only  restless,  Dick,"  he  replied.  "By  the 
way,  I  saw  something  strange,"  he  continued,  and 
he  related  the  occurrence. 

"We  must  look  into  this,  Sam.  It  may  mean 
nothing  and  it  may  mean  a  great  deal,"  was  the 
eldest  Rover  boy's  comment. 

The  boys  did  not  go  on  deck  until  after  break 
fast.  Then  they  walked  to  the  starboard  rail  and 
stopped  at  the  spot  where  Sam  had  first  discov 
ered  the  deck  hand. 

"I  don't  see  anything,"  said  Dick,  gazing  over 
the  rail.  "Perhaps  he  was  fishing,  after  all.  He 
may  have  thought — Hullo !" 

"What  is  it,  Dick?" 

"Some  kind  of  a  line  down  here — a  wire* 
fastened  to  a  hook!" 

"Can  you  reach  it?" 


178     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Hardly.  I  might  if  you'll  hold  my  legs,  so  B 
don't  go  overboard." 

"Hadn't  we  better  tell  Captain  Barforth  of 
#iis  first?  The  wire  may  belong  there." 

"I  don't  know  what  for.  But  we  can  tell  the 
Captain.  Here  he  comes  now." 

"Good  morning,  boys,"  said  the  master  of  the 
steam  yacht  pleasantly.  "What  can  you  see  over 
there?" 

"Something  we  think  unusual,"  said  Sam. 
"Please  take  a  look  and  tell  us  what  it  is." 

Captain  Barforth  did  as  requested. 

"That  wire  has  no  business  there,"  he  de 
clared.  "I  don't  know  how  it  came  there." 

"I  can  tell  you  how  it  got  there,  and  I  guess 
you'll  find  something  like  it  on  the  o+her  side," 
answered  Sam,  and  told  what  he  had  seen  Win- 
gate  do  during  the  night. 

"Humph,  I'll  investigate  this,"  muttered  the 
captain,  and  went  off  for  a  boathook.  When  he 
returned  he  caught  the  hook  into  the  loop  of  the 
wire  and  tried  to  bring  the  end  of  the  strand  to 
the  deck.  He  was  unable  to  do  it  alone  and  had 
to  get  the  boys  to  aid  him.  Then  all  three  ran 
'the  wire  around  a  brace  and  gradually  hauled  it 
aboard.  At  the  end  was  an  iron  chain,  fastened 
into  several  loops,  and  also  the  anchor  to  one  of 
the  rowboats. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


"So  this  is  the  work  of  that  new  deck  hand, 
eh?"  cried  Captain  Barforth,  grimly.  "A  fine 
piece  of  business  to  be  in,  I  must  say!" 

"Let  us  see  what  is  on  the  other  side?"  sug 
gested  Dick. 

This  was  done,  and  they  brought  up  another 
wire,  to  the  end  of  which  were  attached  two 
small  anchors  and  some  pieces  of  scrap  steel  from 
the  tool  room. 

"He  put  those  overboard  for  drag  anchors," 
explained  the  master  of  the  steam  yacht.  "He 
did  it  to  delay  the  Rainbow." 

"Yes,  and  that  was  done  so  the  Josephine  could 
get  ahead  of  us,"  added  Dick. 

"In  that  case  he  must  be  in  league  with  Sid 
Merrick,"  came  from  Sam. 

"Perhaps  he  met  Merrick  at  Nassau  and  was 
hired  for  this  work,"  said  Dick. 

"That  is  possible,  Dick.  I'll  have  the  truth  out 
170 


l8o     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

of  him,  if  I  have  to  put  him  in  irons  and  on  bread 
and  water  to  do  it,"  added  Captain  Barforth. 

He  at  once  sent  for  Walt  Wingate.  The  deck 
hand  who  went  after  the  man  came  back  five  min 
utes  later  to  report  that  the  fellow  could  not  be 
located. 

"He  must  be  found!"  cried  Captain  Barforth. 
"He  can't  skulk  out  of  this!" 

A  search  was  instituted,  in  which  all  of  the 
boys,  Mr.  Rover  and  Aleck  joined.  But  though 
the  steam  yacht  was  searched  from  stem  to  stern, 
the  missing  deck  hand  was  not  located.  Some  of 
the  men  even  went  down  into  the  hold,  but  with 
no  success. 

"Do  you  think  he  jumped  overboard?"  asked 
Fred. 

"He  might,  but  it  would  be  a  foolish  thing  to 
do,"  answered  the  captain.  "We  are  at  least  ten 
miles  from  any  island." 

"He  may  have  had  a  small  boat,"  said  Song 
bird. 

"No,  the  small  boats  are  all  here.  He  is  on 
this  vessel,  but  where  is  the  question." 

To  stimulate  them  in  their  search,  the  captain 
offered  a  reward  of  ten  dollars  to  any  one  of  his 
crew  who  should  bring  Wingate  to  light.  But 
this  brought  no  success,  and  for  a  very  good  rea- 
son,  as  we  shall  learn  later. 


TREASURE  ISLE  AT  LAST  181 

How  much  the  drags  had  hampered  the 
progress  of  the  Rainbow  there  was  no  telling,  but 
freed  of  them,  the  steam  yacht  made  good  time. 
AJ1  of  the  machinery  was  carefully  inspected,  in 
cluding  the  propeller,  to  which  some  wire  was 
found  twisted.  But  this  had  thus  far  done  no 
damage  and  was  easily  pulled  out. 

"He  is  certainly  in  league  with  Merrick  and  his 
crowd,"  said  Anderson  Rover,  "and  that  being 
so,  we  must  be  on  constant  guard  against  him." 

The  ladies  and  the  girls  were  much  alarmed  to 
think  that  such  a  character  as  Wingate  might 
be  roaming  around  the  vessel  in  secret,  and  at 
night  they  locked  every  stateroom  door  with  care. 
The  boys  and  Mr.  Rover  were  also  on  the  alert, 
and  some  of  them  slept  with  loaded  pistols  near 
at  hand.  Had  Wingate  shown  himself  unex 
pectedly  he  might  have  met  with  a  warm  recep 
tion. 

"That  feller's  disappearance  puts  me  in  mind 
o'  something  that  happened  aboard  the  Nancy 
Belden,  bound  from  the  Congo  to  New  York,  jest 
eight  years  ago  this  summer,"  said  Bahama  Bill, 
who  had  searched  as  hard  as  anybody  for  the 
missing  man.  "We  had  on  board  a  lot  o'  wild 
animals  fer  a  circus  man,  an'  amongst  'em  was 
an  orang-outang,  big  an'  fierce,  I  can  tell  you. 
Well,  this  orang-outang  got  out  o'  his  cage  one 


182     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

night,  an'  in  the  mornin'  he  couldn't  be  found 
We  hunted  an'  hunted,  an'  the  next  night  nobody 
wanted  to  go  to  sleep  fer  fear  he'd  wake  up  dead. 
The  cap'n  had  his  family  aboard  and  the  wife 
she  was  'most  scart  stiff  an'  wouldn't  hardly  leave 
her  room." 

"And  did  you  find  the  orang-outang?"  asked 
Songbird,  with  interest. 

"We  did  an'  we  didn't.  The  fifth  night  after 
he  was  missing  we  heard  a  fearful  noise  right  in 
a  cage  wot  had  a  lion  in  it.  We  run  to  the  place 
with  shootin'  irons  an'  spears  and  capstan  bars, 
thinkin'  the  lion  was  loose.  When  we  got  there 
we  found  the  orang-outang  had  twisted  one  o' 
the  bars  o'  the  cage  loose  an'  got  inside  and  dis 
turbed  Mr.  Lion's  best  nap.  Mr.  Lion  didn't 
like  it,  an'  he  gets  up,  and  in  about  two  minutes 
he  makes  mince  meat  o'  the  orang-outang.  When 
we  got  there  all  we  see  was  bits  o'  skin,  an'  the 
feet  an'  head  o'  the  orang-outang,  yes,  sir.  We 
was  glad  he  was  gone — especially  the  cap'n  wife 
— but  the  circus  men  was  mad  to  lose  sech  a 
valerable  beast,"  concluded  Bahama  Bill. 

"That  was  a  pretty  good  one,"  was  Tom's 
comment.  "Too  good  to  be  spoiled,"  and  at  this 
remark  the  others  laughed. 

"Veil,  it's  someding  like  ven  dot  snake  got 


TREASURE  ISLE  AT  LAST  183 

loose  py  Putnam  Hall,"  was  Hans'  comment. 
"Pot  Vingate  vos  noddings  put  a  snake,  hey?" 

"You  hit  it  that  time,  Hans,"  answered  Dick. 
"A  snake  and  of  the  worst  kind." 

According  to  Bahama  Bill's  reckoning  they 
were  now  less  than  two  days'  sailing  from  Treas 
ure  Isle,  and  all  on  board  who  were  in  the  secret 
were  filled  with  expectancy.  So  far  nothing  had 
been  seen  of  the  Josephine,  and  they  wondered  if 
the  tramp  steamer  was  ahead  of  them,  or  if  they 
had  passed  her  in  the  darkness. 

"Of  course,  she  may  have  come  by  a  different 
route,"  said  Captain  Barforth.  "While  we  passed 
to  the  east  and  south  of  some  of  the  little  islands 
she  may  have  gone  to  the  north  and  west  of  them. 
One  route  would  be  about  as  good  as  the  other." 

That  night  it  grew  foggy,  and  as  a  consequence 
they  had  to  slow  down,  which  filled  the  boys  with 
vexation  for,  as  Tom  declared,  "they  wanted  to 
find  that  island  and  the  treasure  right  away." 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  be  patient,"  said  Nellie. 

"Aren't  you  anxious,  Nellie?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,  Tom;  but  I  don't  want  to  see  any* 
body  hurt,  or  the  yacht  sunk." 

Twenty-four  hours  later  the  fog  rolled  away 
and  on  the  following  morning  Captain  Barforth 
announced  they  were  in  the  locality  where  Treas 
ure  Isle  was  supposed  to  be  located.  The  boys 


184     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

stationed  themselves  in  various  parts  of  the  steam 
yacht,  and  Dick  and  Tom  went  aloft  with  a  good 
pair  of  marine  glasses. 

"I  see  an  island!"  cried  Tom,  half  an  hour 
later. 

This  announcement  thrilled  all  on  board,  but 
an  hour  later  it  was  discovered  that  the  island 
was  only  a  small  affair  and  Bahama  Bill  promptly 
said  it  was  not  that  for  which  they  were  seeking. 

"Come  aloft  and  look  through  the  glass,"  said 
Dick  to  the  old  tar,  and  Bahama  Bill  readily  ac 
cepted  the  invitation.  Thus  two  hours  more  went 
by,  and  the  course  of  the  steam  yacht  was  changed 
to  a  wide  circle. 

"More  land!"  cried  Dick,  presently.  "What 
do  you  make  of  that?"  he  asked  and  handed  the 
marine  glasses  to  Bahama  Bill. 

The  old  tar  looked  through  the  glasses  for  a 
long  time  and  then  put  them  down  with  much 
satisfaction. 

"That's  the  place,  or  I'll  forfeit  a  month's 
wages,"  he  said. 

"Is  it  Treasure  Isle?"  burst  out  Tom. 

"Yes." 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Tom,  running  down  the 
ratlines  to  the  deck.  "We've  found  the  island!" 
he  shouted.  "Hurrah!" 

"Where?"  asked  half  a  dozen  at  once. 


TREASURE  ISLE  AT  LAST  185 

"Over  in  that  direction.  You  can't  see  it  with 
the  naked  eye,  but  it's  there  just  the  same.  Hur 
rah!"  And  in  his  high  spirits  Tom  did  a  few 
steps  of  a  fancy  jig. 

Without  delay  the  bow  of  the  steam  yacht  was 
pointed  in  the  direction  of  the  land  that  had  been 
discovered,  and  after  awhile  all  made  it  out,  a 
mere  speck  on  the  blue  water.  But  as  they  ap 
proached,  the  speck  grew  larger  and  larger,  and 
they  saw  it  was  a  beautiful  tropical  isle,  with  wav 
ing  palms  reaching  down  almost  to  the  water's 
edge. 

"We  can't  land  on  this  side,"  announced  Ba 
hama  Bill.  "The  sea  is  too  dangerous  here, 
We'll  have  to  sail  around  to  the  south  shore  and 
lay-to  beyond  the  reef,  and  then  take  small  boats 
to  the  inside  of  the  horseshoe." 

Again  the  course  of  the  Rainbow  was  changed, 
and  they  skirted  the  eastern  shore  of  the  island, 
which  was  truly  shaped  like  a  horseshoe,  with  the 
opening  on  the  south  side.  To  the  north,  the  east 
and  the  west  were  smaller  islands  and  reefs,  stick 
ing  out,  "like  horseshoe  nails,"  as  Sam  said.  Sail 
ing  was  dangerous  here,  and  they  had  to  go  slow 
and  make  frequent  soundings,  so  that  they  did 
not  reach  the  south  side  of  Treasure  Isle  until 
almost  nightfall. 

"The  same  old  place !"  murmured  Bahama  Bill 


186     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"An'  we  anchored  right  out  here  when  we  took 
that  treasure  ashore!  I  remember  it  as  well  as 
if  it  was  yesterday!"  And  he  nodded  over  and 
over  again. 

"And  where  is  the  cave  from  here?"  asked  Mr. 
Rover,  who  was  as  anxious  as  anybody  to  locate 
the  treasure. 

"You  can't  see  it,  because  it's  behind  the  trees 
an'  rocks,"  replied  the  tar. 

The  reef  beyond  the  horseshoe  was  a  danger 
ous  one,  with  the  sea  dashing  up  many  feet  over 
it.  There  was  only  one  break,  less  than  thirty 
feet  wide,  so  gaining  entrance  to  the  harbor 
would  be  no  eaey  matter  in  a  rowboat. 

"We  had  better  wait  until  morning  before  we 
go  ashore,"  said  Captain  Barforth.  "Even  if  we 
land  we'll  be  able  to  do  little  in  the  darkness." 

"Oh,  don't  wait!"  pleaded  Tom. 

"Why  can't  some  of  us  go  ashore?"  put  in 
Sam,  who  was  as  impatient  as  his  brother. 

"I'd  like  to  go  myself,"  added  Dick,  "even  if  I 
had  to  stay  ashore  all  night.  Remember,  the 
Josephine  is  on  the  way  here,  and  the  sooner  some 
of  rs  get  to  land  and  locate  that  cave  the  better." 

"The  Josephine  isn't  here  yet,"  said  Fred. 

"No,  but  she  may  put  in  an  appearance  at  any 
time,"  answered  Tom.  "I  believe  in  taking  time 
by  the  forelock,  as  the  saying  is." 


TREASURE  ISLE  AT  LAST  ig^ 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  it  was  decided  to  let  Tom,  Dick  and  Sam 
go  ashore  in  company  with  two  sailors,  who 
would  then  bring  the  rowboat  back  to  the  steam 
yacht.  The  boys  were  to  take  blankets  and  some 
provisions  with  them  and  spend  the  night  on  the/ 
island. 

"I  don't  think  you'll  find  the  cave  without 
Bahama  Bill's  aid,"  said  Mr.  Rover.  "But  it 
will  do  no  harm  to  look  around.  If  this  isle  is 
tike  the  rest  of  the  West  Indies  there  will  be  little 
on  it  to  hurt  you.  There  are  few  wild  animals 
down  here,  and  no  savages  outside  of  some  ne 
groes  who  occasionally  go  on  a  spr^e  and  cut 
loose. " 

The  rowboat  was  soon  ready,  and  the  boys  em 
barked,  with  the  best  wishes  of  those  left  behind. 
Hans  wanted  to  go  very  much,  but  was  told  he 
must  wait  until  morning.  Bahama  Bill  said  he 
would  rather  sleep  on  shipboard  any  time  than 
on  shore. 

"A  bunk  for  me,"  were  his  words.  "It's  bet 
ter  than  under  the  trees  or  bushes.  Once  I  was 
ashore  sleepin'  an'  a  big  snake  crawled  over  my 
legs.  I  thought  some  cannibals  were  trying  to 
tie  me  fast  and  jumped  up.  When  I  see  the  snake 
I  run  about  three  miles  without  stopping.  A  cozy 
bunk  fer  me  every  time,  yes,  sir!" 


188     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

It  was  exciting  to  bring  the  rowboat  through 
the  passage  of  the  reef  and  once  the  boys  thought 
they  were  going  to  ship  a  good  deal  of  water. 
But  the  two  men  who  were  rowing  knew  their 
ousiness  and  brought  them  into  the  horseshoe  har 
bor  without  mishap.  They  helped  the  lads  to 
land,  on  a  small  sandy  strip  close  to  some  palms, 
and  then  started  back  to  the  steam  yacht. 

"Treasure  Isle  at  last!"  cried  Dick,  when  they 
were  left  alone.  "So  far  our  quest  has  been  suc 
cessful.  Now  to  locate  the  cave  and  unearth  that 
treasure !" 

"And  may  it  prove  to  be  worth  all  that  has 
been  saki  of  it,"  added  Sam. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY 

THE  boys  had  landed  at  a  spot  that  was  par 
ticularly  inviting  in  appearance,  and  they  stopped 
for  several  minutes  to  take  in  the  natural  beauty 
surrounding  them.  There  were  tall  and  stately 
palms,  backed  up  by  other  trees,  trailing  vines  of 
great  length,  and  numerous  gorgeous  flowers.  A 
sweet  scent  rilled  the  air,  and  from  the  woods  in 
the  center  of  the  isle  came  the  song  of  tropical 
birds. 

"What  a  fine  camping  place !"  murmured  Sam. 
"A  fellow  could  spend  several  weeks  here  and 
have  lots  of  fun,  bathing  and  boating,  and  hunt 
ing  birds,  and  fishing,"  and  his  brothers  agreed 
with  him. 

Yet  the  beauty  of  Treasure  Isle  was  soon  for 
gotten  in  their  anxiety  to  locate  the  cave.  They 
had  a  general  idea  that  it  was  in  the  center  of 
the  horseshoe  curve,  and  that  center  was  quite  a 
distance  from  where  they  had  been  brought 
ashore. 

180 


190     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"The  best  we  can  do  is  to  tramp  along  the 
water's  edge,"  said  Dick.  "Then  when  we  reach 
the  center  we  can  go  inland." 
/  "We  haven't  over  an  hour,"  replied  his  young 
est  brother.  "By  that  time  it  will  be  too  dark  to 
do  much  more.  And  we'll  have  to  find  some  suit 
able  place  to  camp  for  the  night." 

"Oh,  we  can  camp  anywhere,"  cried  Tom. 
"It's  good  enough — just  for  one  night." 

They  began  to  trudge  along  the  edge  of  the 
horseshoe  curve,  over  smooth  sand.  But  this  did 
not  last,  and  presently  they  came  to  a  muddy  flat 
and  went  down  to  their  ankles.  Dick  was  ahead 
and  he  cried  to  the  others. 

"Stop!     It's  not  fit  to  walk  here!" 

"Why,  it's  like  a  bog!"  declared  Sam,  after 
testing  it. 

"We'll  have  to  go  inland  a  distance,"  said  Tom. 
"Come  on,"  and  he  turned  back  and  struck  out  for 
the  palms  and  bushes  beyond. 

It  was  then  that  the  Rover  boys  began  to  real 
ize  what  was  before  them.  Scarcely  had  they 
penetrated  the  interior  for  fifty  yards  when  they 
found  themselves  in  a  perfect  network  of  trail 
ing  vines.  Then,  after  having  pulled  and  cut 
their  way  through  for  fifty  yards  more,  they  came 
to  a  spot  that  was  rocky  and  covered  with  a  iangle 
of  thorny  bushes. 


THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY 


IQI 


"Wow!"  ejaculated  Tom,  after  scratching  his 
hand  and  his  leg.  "This  is  something  prime,  I 
must  confess!" 

"What  I  call  hunting  a  treasure  with  a  ven 
geance,"  added  Dick,  dryly. 

"I  move  we  go  back,"  came  from  Sam.  "We 
seem  to  be  stuck  in  more  ways  than  one." 

"Perhaps  it  is  better  traveling  just  beyond," 
declared  Dick.  "I  am  not  going  to  turn  back  just 
yet  anyway." 

He  took  the  lead,  breaking  down  the  thorny 
bushes  as  best  he  could,  and  Sam  and  Tom  fol 
lowed  closely  in  his  footsteps.  It  was  rather  dark 
among  the  bushes  and  almost  before  the  three 
knew  it  they  had  fallen  headlong  into  a  hollow. 

"Well,  I  never!" 

"This  is  coming  down  in  a  hurry!" 

"L*  this  the  treasure  cave?" 

S'^ch  were  the  exclamations  of  the  three  lads 
as  they  picked  themselves  up  out  of  the  dirt, 
which,  fortunately  for  them,  was  soft  and  yield 
ing.  Nobody  had  been  hurt,  for  which  they  were 
thankful. 

The  hollow  was  about  fifty  feet  in  diameter 
and  half  that  depth  in  the  center.  On  the  op 
posite  r»ide  were  more  bushes  and  rocks,  and  then 
a  thick  5t  of  tall  trees  of  a  variety  that  was  strange 
to  thei  i 


192     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"This  is  what  I  call  hard  work,"  observed 
Tom,  as  they  began  to  fight  their  way  along  again. 
"I  don't  know  but  what  we  would  have  done  as 
well  to  have  waited  until  morning." 

"Don't  croak,  Tom,"  said  Sam. 

"Oh,  I  am  not  croaking,  but  this  is  no  fun,  let 
me  tell  you  that." 

All  of  the  boys  were  panting  from  their  exer 
tions,  and  soon  they  had  to  call  a  halt  to  get  their 
breath.  It  was  now  growing  dark  rapidly,  for  in 
the  tropics  there  is  little  of  what  we  know  as  twi 
light. 

"We  certainly  can't  do  much  ?nore  in  this  dark 
ness,"  said  Dick  at  last.  "I  must  confess  I 
thought  walking  in  the  direction  of  the  cave 
would  be  an  easy  matter." 

"Well,  what's  to  do  next?"  questioned  Sam, 
gazing  around  in  perplexity. 

This  was  no  easy  question  to  answer.  As  if 
by  magic  darkness  had  settled  all  around  them, 
shutting  out  the  sight  of  objects  less  than  a  hun 
dred  yards  away.  To  go  forward  was  all  but 
impossible,  and  whether  or  not  they  could  get 
back  to  where  they  had  come  from  was  a  seri 
ous  problem. 

"If  we  can't  get  back  we'll  have  to  camp  right 
here,"  said  Dick. 

But  they  did  not  want  to  stay  in  such  a  thicket 


THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY 


193 


and  so  they  pushed  on  a  little  further,  until  they 
reached  a  slight  rise  of  ground.  Then  Dick,  who 
was  in  advance  as  before,  uttered  a  cry  of  sur 
prise  : 

"A  trail!    I  wonder  where  it  leads  to?" 

He  was  right,  a  well-defined  trail  or  footpath 
lay  before  them,  running  between  the  brushwood 
and  palms  and  around  the  rocks.  It  did  not  look 
as  if  it  had  been  used  lately,  but  it  was  tolerably 
clear  of  any  growth. 

This  was  something  the  Rover  boys  had  not 
counted  on,  for  Bahama  Bill  had  never  spoken 
of  any  trail  in  his  descriptions  of  the  isle.  They 
gazed  at  the  path  with  curiosity.  Tom  was  the 
first  to  speak. 

"Shall  we  follow  it?"  he  asked. 

"Might  as  well,"  answered  Sam.  "It's  better 
than  scratching  yourself  and  tearing  your  cloth 
ing  in  those  thorn  bushes." 

The  boys  took  to  the  trail  and  passed  along  for 
a  distance  of  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more.  It 
wound  in  and  out  around  the  rocks  and  trees  and 
had  evidently  been  made  by  some  natives  bring 
ing  out  wild  fruits  and  the  like  from  the  forest 

"It  doesn't  seem  to  be  leading  us  to  anywhere," 
was  Dick's  comment.  "I  don't  know  whether  to 
go  on  or  not." 

Nevertheless,  they  kept  on,  until  they  came  to 


194     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

a  sharp  turn  around  a  series  of  rocks.  As  they 
moved  ahead  they  suddenly  saw  a  glare  of  light 
cross  the  rocks  and  then  disappear. 

"What  was  that?"  asked  Sam,  somewhat 
startled. 

"A  light,"  answered  Dick. 

"I  know.    But  where  did  it  come  from?" 

"It  was  like  the  flash  of  a  bicycle  gas  lamp,'* 
said  Tom. 

"There  are  no  bicycles  on  this  trail,"  said  Dick. 

"I  know  that,  too,  Dick.  But  it  was  like  that 
kind  of  a  lamp." 

Just  then  the  flash  of  light  reappeared,  and  now 
they  saw  it  came  from  a  point  on  the  trail  ahead 
of  them.  They  listened  intently  and  heard  some 
body  approaching. 

"Several  men  are  coming!"  whispered  Dick. 

"Not  from  our  yacht?"  said  Tom. 

"I  don't  think  so." 

"Can  they  be  from  the  Josephine?"  asked  Sam. 

"That  remains  to  be  seen." 

"If  they  are  from  the  Josephine  what  shall  we 
to?" 

"I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  keep 
out  of  sight  and  watch  them." 

"But  they  may  locate  the  cave  and  take  the 
treasure  away,"  said  Tom. 


THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY  195 

"We  have  got  to  run  that  risk — unless  we  want 
to  fight  them." 

"Oh,  if  only  ve  could  get  our  crowd  here  to 
help  us !"  murmured  Sam. 

"We  may  be  mistaken  and  they  may  be 
strangers  to  us.  Come,  let  us  hide." 

Losing  no  time,  the  three  Rover  boys  stepped 
into  the  bushes  beside  the  trail.  As  they  did  so 
the  other  party  came  closer,  and  the  lads  saw  that 
they  carried  not  only  an  acetylene  gas  lamp,  but 
also  a  ship's  lantern  and  several  other  things. 
The  party  was  made  up  of  Sid  Merrick,  Tad  Sob 
ber,  Cuffer  and  Shelley. 

"It's  mighty  rough  walking  here,"  they  heard 
Tad  Sobber  complain.  "I've  got  a  thorn  right 
through  my  shoe.  Wait  till  I  pull  it  out,  will 
you?"  And  he  came  to  a  halt  not  over  ten  yards 
from  where  the  Rover  boys  were  hidden. 

"You  didn't  have  to  come,  Tad,"  said  his  uncle, 
somewhat  harshly.  "I  told  you  to  suit  yourself." 

"Oh,  I  want  to  see  that  treasure  cave  as  well 
as  you  do,"  answered  Sobber. 

"I'd  like  to  know  if  this  is  the  right  trail  or 
not,"  came  from  Shelley.  "You  ought  to  have 
brought  that  Spaniard  along,  to  make  sure." 

"Doranez  is  no  good!"  growled  Sid  Merrick, 
who  was  Toy  no  means  in  the  best  o!  humor.  "Hfc 


196     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

likes  his  bottle  too  well.  If  he  would  only  keep 
sober  it  would  be  different." 

"Why  don't  you  take  his  liquor  from  him?'* 
asked  Cuffer.  "I'd  do  it  quick  enough  if  I  was 
running  this  thing." 

"He  says  he  won't  tell  us  a  thing  more  if  we 
cut  off  his  grog.  He  is  getting  mighty  ugly." 

"Maybe  he  wants  to  sell  out  to  those  Rovers/* 
suggested  Shelley. 

"He  wouldn't  dare  to  do  that — I  know  too 
much  about  him,"  answered  Sid  Merrick.  "No, 
it's  because  he  wants  too  big  a  share  of  the  treas 
ure." 

"Do  you  suppose  the  fellows  on  the  steam 
yacht  have  landed  here  yet?"  asked  Tad,  as  he 
prepared  to  go  on. 

"I  don't  know.  They  are  laying-to  outside  of 
the  reef.  I  reckon  they  don't  know  anything  of 
the  landing  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,"  an 
swered  his  uncle.  "Come  on,  we  haven't  any  time 
to  waste  if  we  want  to  head  them  off.  I  didn't 
dream  they'd  get  here  so  quickly." 

"I  guess  that  fellow  Wingate  was  no  good," 
came  from  Cuffer.  "He  didn't  delay  the  steam 
yacht  in  the  least." 

"Maybe  he  got  caught  at  his  funny  work,"  sug 
gested  Shelley,  hitting  the  nail  directly  on  the 
head,  as  the  reader  already  know* 


THE  BOYS  MAKE  A  DISCOVERY  197 

Casting  the  light  of  the  acetylene  gas  lamp 
ahead  of  them,  the  party  from  the  Josephine 
moved  on,  directly  past  the  spot  where  the  Rovers 
were  in  hiding.  The  boys  hardly  dared  to  breathe 
for  fear  of  discovery.  They  stood  stock  still  un 
til  the  others  were  all  but  out  of  sight. 

"This  is  interesting,"  murmured  Tom.  "They 
must  have  landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  island." 

"Yes,  and  Merrick  hired  that  Walt  Wingate  to 
play  us  foul!"  cried  Sam.  "What  shall  we  do 
next,  Dick?"  he  continued  anxiously.  "They  act 
as  if  they  expect  to  get  that  treasure  to-night!" 

"I  don't  know  what  to  do  exactly,"  answered 
Dick.  "But  one  thing  is  certain — we  must  fol 
low  them  up  and  prevent  their  getting  hold  of 
that  treasure  if  we  possibly  can!" 


CHAPTER   XXI 

SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY 

IT  was  easy  enough  for  Dick  to  say  they  must 
follow  up  their  enemies  and  prevent  Sid  Merrick 
and  his  party  from  gaining  possession  of  the 
treasure,  but  how  all  this  was  to  be  accomplished 
was  another  matter. 

In  the  first  place,  the  other  party  numbered 
four  as  against  their  three.  More  than  this,  those 
from  the  Josephine  were  heavily  armed,  while  the 
Rovers  had  brought  with  them  nothing  but  a  sin 
gle  pistol. 

"It's  well  enough  to  talk,"  whispered  Sam,  af 
ter  Sid  Merrick  and  his  crowd  had  passed  on, 
"but  if  we  tackle  them  in  the  open  the  chances  are 
we'll  get  the  worst  of  it." 

"We  may  'get  a  chance  at  them  in  some  other 
way,"  answered  Dick.  "We  have  this  advantage, 
we  know  where  they  are  and  they  don't  know  we 
are  on  the  isle." 

With  cautious  steps  they  stole  after  the  Mer- 

198 


SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY  199 

rick  party,  keeping  them  in  sight  by  the  waving 
rays  of  the  lamp  and  lantern  ahead,  as  they 
danced  over  the  rocks  and  among  the  trees  and 
bushes.  They  kept  about  a  hundred  feet  to  the 
rear. 

"I've  got  a  plan,"  said  Tom,  as  the  party  ahead 
came  to  a  halt  to  make  sure  of  the  trail.  "Can't 
we  cut  in  somewhere  and  get  ahead  of  them  and 
then  scare  them  back?" 

"Let's  try  it!"  exclaimed  Sam.  "I  am  sure  it 
we  play  ghosts,  or  something  like  that,  we'll  scare 
Tad  Sobber  out  of  his  wits." 

"It's  a  risky  thing  to  do,"  mused  the  eldest 
Rover.  "We  might  get  caught  at  it." 

Nevertheless,  he  was  rather  in  favor  of  the 
plan,  and  when  the  Merrick  party  stopped  again, 
for  Cuffer  to  take  a  stone  out  of  his  shoe,  they 
"cut  into"  the  woods  and  pushed  forward  with 
all  speed.  It  was  hard  work,  but  they  were  in 
deadly  earnest,  and  did  not  let  the  vines  and 
brushwood  deter  them. 

"Now,  the  question  is,  How  are  we  to  scare 
them?"  said  Dick,  after  they  had  regained  the 
trail,  well  in  advance  of  Sid  Merrick  and  his  fol 
lowers. 

"Let  us  play  ghosts  ?"  said  Sam. 

"We  might  black  up  and  play  niggers  on  the 
warpath,  with  big  clubs,"  suggested  Tom. 


200 

"And  get  shot  down,"  interrupted  Dick.  "No, 
I  think  the  ghosts  idea  is  as  good  as  anything. 
Quick,  take  off  your  coats  and  tie  your  handker 
chiefs  over  your  faces." 

The  boys  had  on  light-colored  outing  shirts, 
and  these,  with  the  handkerchiefs  over  their  faces, 
made  them  look  quite  ghostlike  in  the  gloom  un 
der  the  trees. 

"Now,  when  the  time  comes  groan,"  said  Torn. 
"Ghosts  always  groan,  you  know." 

"And  let  us  order  them  back,"  added  Sam. 

"But  be  sure  to  do  it  in  very  ghostlike  tones," 
warned  Dick.  "If  our  voices  sound  a  bit  nat 
ural  they'll  get  suspicious  at  once.  If  they  come 
for  us,  or  shoot  at  us,  drop  behind  the  rocks  and 
run  into  the  woods." 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  boys  were  doubt 
ful  of  the  success  of  their  ruse.  Yet  they  felt 
they  must  do  something  to  hold  the  treasure- 
seeking  party  in  check,  at  least  until  morning. 
With  the  coming  of  daylight  they  could  signal  to 
the  Rainbow  and  with  the  aid  of  those  on  the 
steam  yacht  probably  rout  the  enemy. 

The  Rover  boys  advanced  along  the  trail  until 
they  reached  a  spot  they  deemed  favorable  for 
their  purpose.  Then  Dick  gave  his  brothers  a 
few  more  directions. 

Presently  they  saw  the  rays  of  the  gas  lamp 


SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY  201 

and  the  lantern  in  the  distance.  At  once  Tom 
set  up  a  deep  groaning  and  Sam  and  Dick  joined 
in. 

"What's  that?"  asked  Shelley,  who  was  the 
first  to  hear  the  sounds. 

"Sounds  like  somebody  in  distress,"  answered 
Sid  Merrick. 

"Thought  you  said  there  was  nobody  on  this 
island?"  came  from  Cuffer. 

"Didn't  think  there  was.  Maybe  it's  some 
native  who " 

"Look!  look!"  screamed  Tad  Sobber  and 
pointed  ahead  with  his  hand.  "What's  that?" 

"What's  what?"  asked  the  men  in  concert. 

"There — that  thing  bobbing  up  and  down  over 
the  rocks?"  And  Tad  Sobber  trembled  as  he 
spoke.  This  lonely  walk  through  the  darkness  of 
the  forest  had  somewhat  unnerved  him. 

"That's  strange,"  muttered  Merrick.  "It's 
groaning!" 

"It's  a  ghost !"  screamed  Tad,  and  shrank  back, 
as  did  Cuffer  and  Shelley. 

"A  ghost?"  repeated  Sid  Merrick.  "Non 
sense!  There  are  no  such  things  as  ghosts." 

"It  cer — certainly  looks  like  a — a  ghost!"  fai« 
tered  Cuffer. 

"It  is  a  ghost!"  said  Tad,  his  teeth  beginning  to 
chatter.  "I — I  ca — can  hear  it  gro — groan! 


002     THE  ROVER  BO YS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Come  on  ba — ba — back!"  And  he  began  to  re* 
treat. 

"Back  with  you!"  came  in  solemn  tones.. 
'Back  with  you !" 

"No  white  man  must  come  here,"  said  a  sec-- 
and  voice.  "This  is  sacred  ground !" 

"He  who  sets  foot  here  dies!"  came  from  a 
third  voice.  "This  is  the  burial  place  of  the 
great  Hupa-hupa!  Back,  if  you  value  your  life!" 
And  then  followed  a  jabbering  nobody  could  un 
derstand,  and  white  arms  were  waved  wildly  in= 
the  air. 

This  warning  was  too  much  for  Tad  Sobber, 
and  without  further  ado  he  took  to  his  heels  and 
retreated  down  the  trail  whence  he  had  come. 
Cuffer  followed  him,  and  Shelley  also  retreated 
several  yards. 

"Stop,  you  fools !"  cried  Sid  Merrick.  "Those 
are  no  ghosts,  I  tell  you.  It's  a  trick  of  some 
kind." 

"I — I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  Shel 
ley.  "Don't  you  think  it  would  be  better  to  come 
here  in  the  daylight?  We — er — we  can't  find 
that  cave  in  the  dark  anyway." 

"Yes,  we  can — and  I  am  going  to  do  it,  too," 
was  Merrick's  answer.  "That  is  a  trick,  I  tell 
you."  He  raised  his  voice :  "Who  are  you?"  he 


SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY 


203 


called  out.  "Answer  me  truthfully,  or  I'll  fire 
on  you!" 

This  threat  alarmed  the  Rover  boys,  for  they 
saw  that  Merrick  was  in  earnest 

"I  guess  our  cake  is  dough,"  muttered  Tom. 

"Wait,  I  think  I  can  scare  him  back  yet,"  said 
Dick.  "Let  me  do  the  talking." 

"I  say,  who  are  you?"  repeated  Merrick.  "You 
needn't  pretend  to  be  ghosts,  for  I  don't  believe 
in  them." 

"We  are  the  owners  of  this  isle,"  answered 
Dick,  in  the  heaviest  tone  he  could  assume.  "We 
are  ten  strong,  and  we  order  you  to  go  back  to 
your  ship  at  once." 

"The  owners  of  this  isle?" 

"Yes." 

"I  don't  believe  it" 

"You  can  do  as  you  please  about  that.  But  if 
you  come  a  yard  further  we'll  fire  at  you." 

"Humph!    Then  you  are  armed?" 

"We  are — and  we  know  how  to  shoot,  too." 

"What  brought  you  here  at  such  a  time  as 
this?" 

"We  have  a  special  reason  for  being  here,  as 
you  may  learn  by  to-morrow." 

"Do  you  know  anything  of  a  treasure  on  thisi 
island  ?"  went  on  Sid  Merrick  curiously. 


204     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"We  know  something  of  it,  yes.  It  belongs  to 
the  Stanhope  estate,  provided  it  can  be  found." 

"It  doesn't  belong  to  the  Stanhopes  at  all — it 
belongs  to  me,"  cried  Merrick. 

"In  a  day  or  two  the  Stanhopes  are  coming 
here  to  take  possession,"  went  on  Dick.  "They 
will  bring  with  them  a  number  of  their  friends 
and  uncover  the  treasure,  which  is  now  hidden  in 
a  secret  place.  As  I  and  my  brothers  and  cousins 
own  this  isle  we  are  to  have  our  share  of  what  is 
uncovered.  Now  we  warn  you  again  to  go 
away.  We  are  ten  to  your  four,  and  we  are  all 
armed  with  shotguns  and  pistols,  and  we  have 
the  drop  on  you." 

"Good  for  you,  Dick,  pile  it  on,"  whispered 
Tom.  Then  he  pulled  Sam  by  the  arm.  "Come 
on,  let  us  appear  from  behind  another  rock — 
they'll  think  we  are  two  more  of  the  brothers  or 
cousins !" 

"You  won't  dare  to  shoot  us,"  blustered  Mer 
rick,  but  his  voice  had  a  trace  of  uncertainty  in 
it. 

•  "Won't  we?"  answered  Dick.  "There  is  a 
warning  for  you!"  And  raising  the  pistol  he 
carried  he  sent  a  shot  over  the  heads  of  the  other 
party. 

"They  are  shooting  at  us !  We'll  all  be  killed !" 
yelled  Tad  Sobber,  who  had  come  back  during 


SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY 


205 


the  conversation,  and  again  he  and  Cuffer  took 
to  xheir  heels. 

"Mind  the  warning!"  called  out  Dick,  and 
dropped  almost  out  of  sight  behind  a  rock.  At 
that  same  moment  Tom  and  Sam  appeared  from 
behind  a  rock  far  to  the  left. 

"Mind  that  warning!"  they  cried.  "Remem 
ber,  we  are  ten  to  four !" 

"There  are  two  more  of  'em,"  cried  Shelley. 

"Confound  the  luck,  what  sort  of  a  game  is 
this  anyway?"  said  Sid  Merrick,  much  chag 
rined. 

"Well,  it  is  more  than  we  expected,"  answered 
Shelley.  "I,  for  one,  don't  care  to  risk  being  shot 
down.  I  reckon  they  have  the  bulge  on  us,  if 
there  really  are  ten  of  'em." 

"I've  seen  but  five — the  three  ahead  and  the 
two  over  yonder." 

"There  are  two  more!"  answered  Shelley  and 
pointed  to  another  rock,  to  which  Sam  and  Tom 
had  just  crawled.  "That  makes  seven." 

"Go  back,  I  tell  you,"  warned  Dick.  "We'll 
give  you  just  two  minutes  in  which  to  make  up 
your  mind.  If  you  don't  go  back  we'll  start  to 
shoot!" 

"Come  on  back!"  cried  Tad,  from  a  safe  dis 
tance.  "Don't  let  them  shoot  you,  Uncle  Sid!" 

"We'll  go  back  to  our  ship,"  called  out  Sid 


206     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Merrick.  "But  remember,  this  thing  isn't  settled 
yet." 

"If  you  have  any  differences  with  the  Stan 
hopes  you  can  settle  with  the  folks  on  the  steam 
pacht  which  has  just  arrived,"  answered  Dick, 
not  knowing  what  else  to  say. 

The  party  under  Sid  Merrick  began  to  retreat, 
and  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  watched  them  with  in 
terest,  until  the  lights  faded  in  the  distance.  Then 
Tom  did  a  jig  in  his  delight 

"That  was  easier  than  I  expected,"  he  said. 

"Even  if  we  didn't  scare  them  playing  ghost," 
added  Sam.  "I  wonder  if  they  really  thought  we 
were  ten  in  number?" 

"Well,  they  thought  we  were  seven  anyway!" 
answered  Dick.  "It  was  a  clever  ruse  you  two 
played." 

What  to  do  next  the  Rover  boys  did  not  know. 

It  was  impossible  for  any  of  them  to  calculate 

how  far  they  were  from  the  spot  where  they  had 

landed  or  to  determine  the  best  way  of  getting 

ick  to  Horeshoe  Bay,  as  they  had  named  the 

nlity. 

"Tf  we  move  around  very  much  in  this  darkr 
less  we  may  become  hopelessly  lost  in  the  forest," 
said  Dick. 

"Maybe  we  had  better  stay  right  where  we  are 
until  morning,"  suggested  his  youngest  brother. 


SCARING  OFF  THE  ENEMY  207 

"I'm  agreeable  to  anything,"  were  Tom's 
words. 

"If  we  stay  here  we  want  to  remain  on  guard," 
said  Dick.  "Merrick  may  take  it  into  his  head 
to  come  back." 

An  hour  later  found  the  three  Rover  boys 
encamped  in  a  small  opening  to  one  side  of  the 
forest  trail.  They  made  beds  for  themselves  of 
some  soft  brushwood,  and  it  was  decided  that 
one  should  remain  on  guard  while  the  other  two 
slept. 

"Each  can  take  three  hours  of  guard  duty," 
said  Dick.  "That  will  see  us  through  the  night 
nicely,"  and  so  it  was  arranged. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST 

DICK  was  the  first  to  go  on  guard  and  during 
the  initial  hour  of  his  vigil  practically  nothing 
came  to  disturb  him.  He  heard  the  occasional  cry 
of  the  nightbirds  and  the  booming  of  the  surf  on 
the  reefs  and  the  shore  of  the  isle,  and  saw  nu 
merous  fireflies  flit  to  and  fro,  and  that  was  all. 

"I  don't  believe  they'll  come  back,"  he  mur 
mured  to  himself.  "Like  as  not  they  are  afraid 
to  advance  on  the  trail  and  also  afraid  to  trust 
themselves  to  this  jungle  in  the  darkness." 

Dick  had  found  some  wild  fruit  growing  close 
at  hand  and  he  began  to  sample  this.  But  it  was 
bitter,  and  he  feared  to  eat  much,  thinking  it 
might  make  him  sick.  Then,  to  keep  awake,  for 
he  felt  sleepy  because  of  his  long  tramp,  he  took 
out  his  knife  and  began  to  cut  his  initials  on  a 
stately  palm  growing  beside  the  temporary 
camp. 

Dick  had  just  finished  one  letter  and  was  start- 

208 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST 


209 


,¥ig  the  next  when  of  a  sudden  he  found  himself 
taught  from  behind.  His  arms  were  pinned  to 
his  side,  his  pistol  wrenched  from  his  grasp,  and 
a  hand  that  was  not  overly  clean  was  clapped  over 
his  mouth. 

"Not  a  sound,  Rover,  if  you  know  when  you 
are  well  off!"  said  a  voice  into  his  ear.  , 

Despite  this  warning  the  lad  would  have  yelled 
to  his  brothers,  but  he  found  this  impossible.  He 
had  been  attacked  by  Merrick  and  Shelley,  and 
Cuffer  stood  nearby,  ready  with  a  stick,  to  crack 
him  over  the  head  should  he  show  fight.  The 
attack  had  come  in  the  dark,  the  gas  lamp  and 
the  lantern  having  been  extinguished  when  the 
party  from  the  Josephine  drew  close. 

Merrick  had,  prepared  himself  for  his  nefari 
ous  work,  and  in  a  twinkling  he  had  Dick's  hands 
bound  behind  him  and  had  a  gag  placed  in  the 
youth's  mouth.  Then  he  had  the  lad  bound  fast 
to  a  nearby  tree. 

In  the  meantime  Tom  and  Sam  were  sleeping 
soundly.  The  two  brothers  lay  each  with  a  hand 
close  to  the  other,  and  with  caution  Merrick  and 
his  party  tied  the  two  hands  together.  Then  they 
tied  the  lads'  feet,  so  that  they  could  not  run. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  this?"  cried  Tom, 
s'oiggfing  to  rise,  as  did  Sam. 

"It  means  you  are  prisoners!"  cried  Tad  Sob- 


2iO     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

ber,  who  had  had  small  part  in  the  operations,  but 
who  was  ready  to  do  all  the  "crowing"  possible. 

"Prisoners!"  gasped  Sam.  "Where  is  Dick?" 
he  added. 

"Also  a  prisoner,"  said  Tad,  with  a  chuckle. 
"You  thought  you  had  fooled  us  nicely,  but  I 
guess  we  have  turned  the  tables  on  you." 

"I  suspected  you  Rovers,"  said  Sid  Merrick. 

"Really!"  answered  Tom,  sarcastically.  "You 
acted  it!" 

"See  here,  don't  you  get  funny,  young  man. 
Please  remember  you  are  in  our  power." 

"And  we'll  do  some  shooting,  if  we  have  to," 
added  Tad,  bombastically. 

"Tad,  I  guess  I  can  do  the  talking  for  this 
crowd,"  said  his  uncle. 

"You  were  afraid  of  the  ghosts,  Tad,"  said 
Sam.  "You  must  have  run  about  a  mile !"  And 
the  youngest  Rover  grinned  in  spite  of  the  pre 
dicament  he  was  in. 

"You  shut  up!"  roared  Tad  Sobber,  and  ex 
hibited  some  of  the  brutality  that  had  made  him 
so  hated  at  Putnam  Hall  by  raising  his  foot  and 
kicking  Sam  in  the  side. 

"Stop!"  cried  the  youngest  Rover,  in  pain. 
"What  a  brute  you  are !" 

"Leave  my  brother  alone!"  came  from  Tom. 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST  2II 

"A  fine  coward  you  are,  to  kick  him  when  he  is  a 
prisoner!  You  wouldn't  dare  to  try  it  if  he  was 
free." 

"I  wouldn't,  eh?     I  want  you  to  understand 
['m  not  afraid  of  anybody,"  blustered  Tad.     "I 


"Tad,  be  quiet,"  cried  his  uncle.  "I  am  fully 
capable  of  managing  this  affair.  Don't  kick  him 
again." 

"Yes,  but  look  here,  Uncle  Sid,  they  -  " 

"I  will  take  care  of  things,"  cried  Sid  Merrick, 
and  so  sharply  that  his  nephew  at  once  subsided. 
But  on  the  sly  he  shook  his  fist  at  both  Tom  and 
Sam. 

"Maybe  we  had  better  make  sure  that  nobody 
else  is  around,"  suggested  Shelley,  who  had  been 
Merrick's  best  aide  in  the  capture. 

"All  right,  look  around  if  you  want  to,"  was 
Merrick's  reply.  "I  am  pretty  certain  these  boys 
are  alone  here  —  although  more  persons  from  the 
steam  yacht  may  be  ashore." 

They  looked  around,  but,  of  course,  found  no 
body  else.  Then  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  were  tied 
in  a  row  to  three  trees  which  were  handy.  Mer 
rick  took  possession  of  their  single  weapon. 

"I  don't  want  you  to  hurt  yourselves  with  it," 
he  said,  grimly. 

"Merrick,  this  is  a  high-handed  proceeding," 


212     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

said  Dick,  when  the  gag  was  removed  from  his 
mouth. 

"No  more  so  than  was  your  statement  of  own 
ing  the  isle,"  was  the  answer. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  us?" 

"Nothing." 

"I  must  say  I  don't  understand  you." 

"What  should  I  do  with  you?  I  don't  enjoy 
your  company.  I  am  here  solely  to  get  that  treas 
ure,  as  you  must  know.  I  am  going  after  that 
and  leave  you  where  you  are." 

"Bound  to  these  trees?" 

"Certainly." 

"Supposing  we  can't  get  loose?"  remonstrated 
Tom.  "We  may  starve  to  death!" 

"That  will  be  your  lookout.  But  I  reckon 
you'll  get  loose  sooner  or  later,  although  we've 
bound  you  pretty  tight." 

"Can  I  have  a  drink  before  you  go?"  asked 
Sam,  who  was  dry. 

"Don't  give  'em  a  drop,  Uncle  Sid !"  cried  Tad. 
"They  don't  deserve  it." 

"Oh,  they  can  have  a  drink,"  said  Sid  Merrick. 
"I'd  give  a  drink  even  to  a  dog,"  he  added,  and 
passed  around  some  water  the  boys  had  in  a  bot 
tle. 

Less  than  fifteen  minutes  later  the  three  Rover 
boys  found  themselves  alone  in  the  forest.  The 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST 


213 


Merrick  party  had  lit  their  acetylene  gas  lamp 
and  the  lantern  and  struck  out  once  more  along 
the  trail  which  they  supposed  would  take  them 
to  the  treasure  cave.  The  boys  heard  them  for 
a  short  distance,  and  then  all  became  dark  and 
silent  around  them. 

"Well,  now  we  are  in  a  pickle  and  no  mistake," 
remarked  Sam,  with  a  long  sigh. 

"That  ghost  business  proved  a  boomerang," 
was  Tom's  comment.  "It's  a  pity  we  didn't  dig 
out  for  the  shore,  signal  to  the  steam  yacht,  and 
tell  father  and  the  others  about  what  was  going 
on." 

"There  is  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk,"  said 
Dick.  "The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  free." 

"Yes,  and  that's  real  easy,"  sniffed  Tom.  "I 
am  bound  up  like  a  bale  of  hay  to  be  shipped  to 
the  South  Pole!" 

"And  the  cord  on  my  wrists  is  cutting  right 
into  the  flesh,"  said  Sam. 

"If  we  were  the  heroes  of  a  dime  novel  we'd 
shoo  these  ropes  away  in  a  jiffy,"  went  on  Tom, 
with  a  grin  his  brothers  could  not  see.  "But  be- 
.ng  plain,  everyday  American  boys  I'm  afraid 
we'll  have  to  stay  tied  up  until  somebody  comes 
to  cut  us  loose." 

"Oh,  for  a  faithful  dog!"  sighed  Sam.  "I 
saw  a  moving  picture  once  in  which  a  dog  came 


2I4     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

and  untied  a  girl  who  was  fastened  to  a  tree.  I'd 
give  as  much  as  five  dollars  for  that  dog  right 
now." 

"Make  it  six  and  a  half,  Sam,  and  I'll  go  half," 
answered  Tom. 

"Well,  this  is  no  joke,"  declared  Dick,  almost 
severely.  "We  must  get  free  somehow — or 
they'll  get  that  treasure  and  be  off  with  it  before 
father  and  the  others  have  a  chance  to  land. 
We've  got  to  do  something." 

They  all  agreed  they  "had  to  do  something," 
but  what  that  something  was  to  be  was  not  clear. 
They  worked  over  their  bonds  until  their  wrists 
were  cut  and  bleeding  and  then  gave  the  task  up. 
It  was  so  dark  they  could  see  each  other  but 
dimly,  and  the  darkness  and  quietness  made  them 
anything  but  lighthearted. 

"Supposing  some  wild  beast  comes  to  chew  us 
up,"  said  Sam,  presently,  after  a  silence  that  was 
positively  painful. 

"We  know  there  are  no  big  beasts  on  these  is 
lands,"  answered  Dick.  "Don't  worry  yourself 
unnecessarily,  Sam.  We've  got  troubles  enough 
as  it  is." 

"The  only  beasts  here  are  human  beasts,"  said 
Tom,  "and  their  names  are  Merrick,  Sobber,  Cuf- 
fer  and  Shelley,"  and  he  said  this  so  dryly  his 
brothers  had  to  laugh. 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST 


215 


Slowly  the  night  wore  away,  each  hour  drag 
ging  more  than  that  which  preceded  it.  Two  or 
three  times  the  boys  tried  again  to  liberate  them 
selves,  but  fared  no  better  than  before,  indeed, 
Dick  fared  worse,  for  he  came  close  to  spraining 
'his  left  wrist.  The  pain  for  a  while  was  intense 
and  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  keep  from  crying 
out. 

"I'd  like  to  know  what  time  it  is,"  said  Sam, 
when  the  first  streak  of  dawn  began  to  show 
among  the  trees. 

"And  I'd  like  to  know  if  Merrick  has  found 
the  treasure  cave,"  added  Dick. 

"It  will  soon  be  morning,"  came  from  Tom, 
and  he  was  right.  The  rising  sun  did  not  pene 
trate  to  where  they  stood,  but  it  tipped  the  tops 
of  the  trees  with  gold  and  made  it  light  enough 
for  them  to  see  each  other  quite  plainly. 

The  boys  were  glad  that  day  had  come  at  last, 
for  being  prisoners  in  the  light  was  not  half  as 
bad  as  in  the  dark.  Each  looked  at  the  others 
rather  curiously. 

"Well,  we  are  still  here,"  said  Tom  laconically, 

"Yes,  and  liable  to  stay  here,"  added  Sam. 

"I  wonder  if  father  is  getting  ready  to  land,** 
said  Dick.  "I  suppose  if  he  does  he  will  come 
ashore  where  we  did." 


2 1 6     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Yes,  but  that  is  a  good  distance  from  here," 
was  Sam's  comment. 

"Wonder  if  it  would  do  us  any  good  to  yell?" 
said  Tom. 

"And  bring  Merrick  and  his  gang  down  on 
us,"  said  his  younger  brother.  "No,  thank  you." 

"I  don't  believe  they  are  around,"  said  Dick. 
"I  am  going  to  try  my  lungs."  And  he  began  to 
yell  with  all  the  power  of  his  vocal  organs.  Then 
Tom  and  Sam  joined  in,  and  they  kept  this  up, 
off  and  on,  for  fully  an  hour. 

"I  am  not  only  dry  but  hungry,"  said  Tom. 
"Wish  I  had  that  lunch  we  brought  along." 

"Tad  Sobber  sneaked  that  away,"  said  Dick. 
"If  ever  there  was  a  fellow  with  a  heart  of  stone 
he's  the  chap.  Why,  Dan  Baxter  in  his  worst 
days  wasn't  as  bad  as  this  young  rascal." 

Another  hour  went  by  and  then  Dick  uttered 
an  exclamation : 

"Listen!" 

"What  did  you  hear?"  asked  his  brothers. 

"I  thought  I  heard  somebody  calling!" 

They  strained  their  ears  and  from  a  great  dis 
tance  heard  a  cry,  but  what  it  was  they  could  not 
make  out. 

"Let's  call  back,"  said  Dick. 

"It  may  do  us  harm,"  interposed  Sam. 

"We'll  take  the  chance,"  said  Tom,  and  started 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  FOREST  217 

a  loud  cry,  in  which  all  joined.  They  waited  pa 
tiently  for  an  answer  to  come  back.  But  for  sev 
eral  minutes  there  was  absolute  silence.  Then,  to 
their  surprise,  a  pistol  shot  sounded  out. 

"Hullo!'  ejaculated  Dick.     "Something  is  up 
I  wonder  what  it  is?" 


CHAPTER   XXIII 


AFTER  the  departure  of  the  Rover  boys  from 
the  steam  yacht  Mr.  Rover  and  Captain  Barforth 
held  a  consultation,  and  it  was  decided  that  the 
search  for  the  treasure  cave  should  begin  in 
earnest  at  daybreak. 

"I  do  not  think  the  boys  will  locate  the  cave  in 
the  coming  darkness,"  said  Anderson  Rover. 
"But  still  it  will  do  no  harm  to  let  them  have  a 
try  at  it." 

"Mr.  Rover,  do  you  suppose  those  on  board 
the  Josephine  have  landed  yet?"  asked  Fred,  who 
was  present. 

"There  is  no  telling  for  certain,  Fred.  But  I 
should  say  not,  since  their  steamer  is  nowhere  in 
sight." 

"I  hope  they  do  not  come  for  some  days,"  said 
Mrs.  Stanhope.  "For  if  they  do,  and  you  meet, 
I  feel  sure  there  will  be  serious  trouble." 

After  that  Anderson  Rover  had  a  long  talk 

218 


WHAT  WING  ATE  HAD  TO  TELL  219 

with  Bahama  Bill,  and  the  old  tar  said  he  thought 
he  could  locate  the  cave  without  much  trouble. 

"O'  course,  the  isle  has  changed  since  I  was 
here  last,"  said  he.  "Must  have  had  a  hurri 
cane  or  something  like  that,  to  wash  the  beach 
and  rake  down  some  o'  the  trees.  But  I  think 
I  can  find  it  as  soon  as  I  locate  the  trail  leadin* 
that  way.  You  knov;  trails  are  great  things. 
Why,  when  I  was  sailing  on  the  Jessie  D.,  from 
the  South  Sea  Islands,  we  landed  on  a  place 
where  there  was  a  trail  running  to  a  volcano.  We 
took  to  it,  and  the  first  thing  we  know  we  went 
down  into  that  ere  volcano  about  a  thousand  feet. 
It  made  my  hair  stand  on  end,  I  can  tell  ye !  Four 
o'  us  went  down,  an'  the  others  had  to  git  ropes 
an'  haul  us  up  ag'in,  an'  it  took  half  a  day  to  do 
it." 

"Vos  you  hurted  much  ?"  asked  Hans. 

"Not  a  scratch,  my  hearty,  only  it  broke  my 
pipe,  one  my  brother  gave  me  afore  I  sailed,  an* 
one  I  wouldn't  have  taken  a  month's  pay  for,'* 
concluded  Bahama  Bill. 

An  hour  later  Songbird,  who  was  on  the  deck 
of  the  steam  yacht,  composing  poetry  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  saw  the  old  tar  coming 
toward  him.  Bahama  Bill  was  groaning  deeply. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  the  would-be  poet. 

"Oh,   I'm  a-burnin'  up  on  my  insides!"  an- 


220     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

swered  the  old  tar,  and  gave  a  deep  groan.  "I 
want  a  doctor,  I  do !" 

Seeing  Bahama  Bill  was  really  sick,  Songbird 
went  to  his  assistance  and  called  Mr.  Rover.  Then 
Captain  Barforth  was  consulted  and  he  gave  the 
man  some  medicine. 

"It's  queer  I  took  sick  so  quick,"  said  Bahama 
Bill,  an  hour  later,  when  he  felt  better. 

"What  did  you  eat  and  drink?"  asked  Ander 
son  Rover. 

"I  ate  a  tongue  sandwich — one  o'  them  was 
handed  around  awhile  ago.  I  put  it  in  my  bunk 
room  when  I  got  it  and  ate  it  on  going  to  bed. 
It  made  me  sick  the  minit  I  downed  it." 

"I  ate  one  of  those  sandwiches  and  it  didn't 
hurt  me,"  said  Fred. 

"Yah,  and  I  vos  eat  two  of  dem,"  put  in  Hans. 
"Da  vos  goot,  doo !"  and  he  smacked  his  lips. 

"Perhaps  you  ate  something  earlier  in  the  day 
that  didn't  agree  with  you,"  said  Captain  Bar- 
forth  ;  and  there  the  talk  ended,  and  Bahama  Bill 
retired  once  more. 

Less  than  an  hour  later  came  a  commotion  on 
the  steam  yacht.  Two  men  were  evidently  fight 
ing  and  the  voice  of  Bahama  Bill  was  heard. 

"I've  caught  ye!"  he  bellowed.  "No,  ye  ain't 
goin'  to  git  away  nuther!"  And  then  came  a 
crash  as  some  article  of  furniture  was  tipped  over 


WHAT  WIN  GATE  HAD  TO  TELL  22 1 

A  rush  was  made  by  Mr.  Rover,  the  boys  and 
several  others,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  all 
Bahama  Bill  was  discovered  on  the  deck  locked 
arm  in  arm  with  Walt  Wingate,  who  was  doing 
his  best  to  break  away. 

"Wingate,  you  rascal!"  shouted  Anderson 
Rover,  and  caught  the  deck  hand  by  the  collar. 

"Let  me  go!"  yelled  the  fellow,  and  struggled 
to  free  himself.  He  held  a  pistol  in  one  hand 
and  this  went  off,  but  the  bullet  merely  cut  the 
air.  Then  the  weapon  was  taken  from  him. 

"So  you  are  still  on  board,  eh?"  roared  Cap 
tain  Barforth,  when  he  confronted  the  man. 
"What  have  you  to  say  for  yourself  ?" 

"I — er — I  haven't  done  anything  wrong,"  was 
Wingate's  stubborn  reply. 

"Oh,  no,  of  course  not!" 

"He  came  at  me  in  my  sleep,"  cried  Bahama 
Bill.  "He  had  something  in  a  little  white  paper 
and  he  was  trying  to  put  it  into  my  mouth  when 
I  woke  up  an'  caught  him.  I  think  he  was  going 
to  poison  me!"  And  he  leaped  forward  and 
caught  the  prisoner  by  the  throat. 

"Le — let  up !"  gasped  the  deck  hand.  "It — it's 
all  a  mis — mistake!  I  wasn't  going  to  poi— < 
poison  anybody." 

"Maybe  he  vos  poison  does  sandwiches,  doo," 


222     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

suggested  Hans.  "I  mean  dose  dot  made  Bahama 
Pill  sick." 

"Like  as  not  he  did,"  growled  the  old  tar. 
"He's  a  bad  one,  he  is !"  And  he  shook  the  deck 
hand  as  a  dog  shakes  a  rat. 

"He  is  surely  in  league  with  Sid  Merrick,"  said 
Anderson  Rover.  He  faced  Walt  Wingate 
sternly.  "Do  you  dare  deny  it?" 

At  first  Wingate  did  deny  it,  but  when  threat 
ened  with  severe  punishment  unless  he  told  the 
whole  truth,  he  confessed. 

"I  used  to  know  Sid  Merrick  years  ago,"  he 
said.  "He  used  me  for  a  tool,  he  did.  When 
we  met  at  Nassau  he  told  me  what  he  wanted 
done  and  I  agreed  to  do  it,  for  some  money  he 
gave  me  and  for  more  that  he  promised  me." 

"And  what  did  you  agree  to  do?"  asked  Ander 
son  Rover. 

"I  agreed  to  get  a  job  as  a  deck  hand  if  I  could 
and  then,  on  the  sly,  cripple  the  yacht  so  she 
couldn't  reach  Treasure  Isle  as  quick  as  the 
Josephine — the  steamer  Merrick  is  on.  Then  I 
also  promised  to  make  Bahama  Bill  sick  if  possi- 
ble,  so  he  couldn't  go  ashore  and  show  you  where 
the  cave  was.  I  wasn't  going  to  poison  him. 
The  stuff  I  used  was  given  to  me  by  Merrick,  who 
bought  it  at  a  drug  store  in  Nassau.  He  said  it 


WHAT  WIN  GATE  HAD  TO  TELL          22$ 

would  make  Bahama  Bill  sleepy — dopy,  he  called 
it." 

"Did  he  tell  you  what  the  stuff  was?" 

"No." 

"Then  it  may  be  poison  after  all,"  said  Cap 
tain  Barforth.  "You  took  a  big  risk  in  using  it, 
not  to  say  anything  about  the  villainy  of  using 
anything." 

"Oh,  jest  let  me  git  at  him,  cap'n!"  came  from 
Bahama  Bill,  who  was  being  held  back  by  Fred 
and  Songbird.  "I'll  show  him  wot  I  think  o' 
sech  a  measly  scoundrel!"  And  he  shook  his 
brawny  fist  at  the  prisoner. 

"I'm  sorry  now  I  had  anything  to  do  with 
Merrick,"  went  on  Walt  Wingate.  "He  always 
did  lead  me  around  by  the  nose." 

"Well,  he  has  led  many  others  that  way,"  an 
swered  Anderson  Rover,  remembering  the  freight 
robbers. 

"I  am  willing  to  do  anything  I  can  to  make 
matters  right,"  went  on  Wingate. 

"O'  course  you  are,  now  you're  caught,'* 
sneered  Bahama  Bill. 

"Can  you  tell  us  if  the  Josephine  was  coming 
to  this  spot?"  asked  Captain  Barforth. 

"Is  this  the  south  side  of  the  isle?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  Captain  Sackwell  said  he  knew  of  a 


224     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

landing  place  on  the  north  side  of  Treasure  Isle, 
and  he  was  bound  for  that  spot." 

"The  north  side!"  cried  Anderson  Rover.  He 
looked  at  Captain  Bar  forth.  "Can  they  have 
tricked  us?"  he  asked. 

"I  never  heard  o'  any  landing  on  that  side," 
said  Bahama  Bill.  "But  then  I  never  visited  the 
place  but  onct,  as  I  told  ye  afore." 

"Did  the  Spaniard  Doranez  know  of  the  land 
ing  on  the  north  side?"  questioned  Songbird. 

"So  he  told  Merrick,"  answered  Wingate.  "He 
said  he  was  the  one  to  speak  of  the  isle  first,  for 
he  had  visited  it  half  a  dozen  times  during  his 
voyages  among  the  West  Indies." 

"Then  they  may  be  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island  now!"  cried  Fred. 

After  that  Walt  Wingate  was  questioned 
-closely  and  he  told  all  he  knew  about  Merrick  and 
his  plans.  He  was  very  humble,  and  insisted  upon 
it  that  he  had  meant  to  do  no  more  than  put 
Bahama  Bill  into  a  sound  sleep. 

"Well,  you  are  a  dangerous  character,"  said 
Captain  Barforth.  "For  the  present  I  am  going 
v,to  keep  you  a  prisoner,"  and  a  few  minutes  later 
he  had  Wingate  handcuffed  and  placed  under 
lock  and  key  in  a  small  storeroom.  The  deck 
hand  did  not  like  this,  but  he  was  thankful  to 
escape  a  worse  fate. 


WHAT  WIN  GATE  HAD  TO  TELL 


225 


Anxious  to  know  if  the  Josephine  was  any 
where  in  the  vicinity  of  the  isle,  some  of  those 
on  board  the  Rainbow  ascended  one  of  the  masts 
and  attempted  to  look  across  the  land.  But  a  hill 
shut  off  the  view. 

"We'll  have  to  wait  until  morning,"  said  Mr. 
Rover,  and  was  about  to  go  down  to  the  deck 
when  something  attracted  his  attention.  It  was 
a  strange  shaft  of  light  shooting  up  from  along- 
the  trees  in  the  center  of  Treasure  Isle. 

"A  searchlight!"  he  cried.  "Somebody  is  on 
shore,  and  it  must  be  Merrick  with  his  crowd.'* 
And  this  surmise  was  correct,  as  we  already 
know. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A  MISSING  LANDMARK 

THE  searchlight  was  watched  with  interest  for 
fully  quarter  of  an  hour.  It  was,  of  course,  visi 
ble  only  now  and  then,  but  from  the  shafts  of 
light  seen,  those  on  the  steam  yacht  were  certain 
somebody  was  moving  from  the  north  side  of 
the  isle  to  the  location  of  the  treasure  cave. 

"We  ought  to  head  them  off,  if  possible,"  de 
clared  Anderson  Rover.  "Should  that  be  Mer- 
rick's  crowd  and  they  meet  my  sons  there  will 
surely  be  trouble!" 

"Let  us  go  ashore  without  delay!"  said  Song 
bird,  who  was  sorry  he  had  not  accompanied  the 
Rover  boys. 

"That's  what  I  say!"  added  Fred.  "We  can 
take  plenty  of  lights." 

"I  vos  not  von  pit  sleepy,"  declared  Hans.  "I 
go  kvick,  of  you  said  so,  Mr.  Rofer." 

"If  yo'  go,  don't  forgit  Aleck!"  pleaded  the 
colored  man. 

226 


A  MISSING  LANDMARK 


227 


"You  shall  go,  Aleck,"  answered  Mr.  Rover, 
who  knew  he  could  depend  upon  the  colored  man 
in  any  emergency. 

"I  hope  you  find  Dick,  and  Tom  and  Sam," 
said  Dora.  "It  was  foolish  for  them  to  go  off 
alone." 

"And  don't  let  Merrick  hurt  anybody,"  pleaded 
Nellie. 

It  was  quickly  decided  that  the  party  to  go 
ashore  should  be  composed  of  Mr.  Rover,  Ba 
hama  Bill,  Aleck,  and  the  three  boys.  Near)y 
everybody  went  armed,  and  the  party  carried  with 
them  a  small  electric  searchlight,  run  by  a 
"pocket"  battery,  and  two  oil  lanterns.  They  also 
took  with  them  some  provisions,  and  a  pick,  a 
shovel  and  a  crowbar,  for  Bahama  Bill  said  there 
might  be  some  digging  to  do  to  get  at  the  treas 
ure. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  small  searchlight  it 
would  have  been  next  to  impossible  to  find  the 
opening  through  the  reef  during  the  night.  But 
the  light  was  all  that  was  needed,  and  they  came 
through  with  little  more  than  a  shower  of  spray 
touching  them.  Bahama  Bill  and  Mr.  Rover 
rowed  the  boat  and  soon  brought  the  craft  to  a 
point  where  they  disembarked  without  difficulty. 

"The  boys  did  not  land  here,"  said  Anderson 
Rover,  after  a  look  along  the  sandy  shore  for 


228     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

footprints.     "But  they  must  have  come  in  some 
where  around  here." 

"Let's  call  for  them,"  suggested  Songbird,  and 
this  was  done,  but  no  reply  came  back. 

"They  have  started  on  the  hunt  for  the  cave, 
just  as  I  supposed  they  would,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 

"Den  let  us  git  aftah  dem  directly,"  said  Aleck. 
"I  feels  like  I  could  tramp  all  night  widout  half 
tryin'!" 

Tying  up  the  rowboat,  and  shouldering  their 
tools  and  provisions,  they  set  off  along  the  shore 
of  Horseshoe  Bay,  just  as  the  three  Rover  boys 
had  done.  Bahama  Bill  led  the  way,  with  Mr. 
Rover  beside  him,  carrying  the  electric  light, 
which  gave  out  fully  as  much  light  as  did  the 
acetylene  gas  lamp  carried  by  Merrick. 

"Here  are  some  footprints!"  cried  Mr.  Rover, 
after  a  short  distance  had  been  covered. 

"Dem  was  made  by  our  boys!"  cried  Aleck, 
after  a  minute  examination.  "I  know  dem  shoes, 
fo'  I  has  shined  'em  many  de  time!" 

"If  they  walked  in  that  direction  they  took  the 
wrong   course,"    was    Bahama    Bill's    comment. 
"Like  as  not  they  got  turned  around  among  thev 
trees  an'  in  the  dark." 

"We  must  locate  the  party  with  that  strong 
light  we  saw  from  the  yacht,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 
"Perhaps  in  doing  that  we'll  come  up  to  my  sons." 


A  MISSING  LANDMARK  229 

Once  on  shore,  the  old  tar  said  he  remembered 
the  locality  well,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  in  push 
ing  forward,  across  the  path  taken  by  the  three 
Rover  boys,  and  then  to  a  trail  which  the  Rovers 
had  missed.  They  had  to  climb  a  small  hill,  and 
here  it  was  that  Bahama  Bill  showed  the  first 
signs  of  perplexity. 

"Queer!"  he  muttered,  coming  to  a  halt  and 
gazing  around.  "Mighty  queer!" 

"What  is  queer?"  questioned  Anderson  Rover. 

"This  looks  changed  to  me.  When  I  was  here 
afore  there  was  a  rock  yonder,  an'  the  crowd 
placed  a  mark  on  it  fer  a  guide,  as  I  told  ye. 
Ain't  no  rock  there  now !"  And  he  scratched  his 
head  as  if  he  was  afraid  he  was  not  seeing  aright. 

"When  you  were  here  was  a  good  many  years 
ago,"  said  Songbird.  "The  rock  may  have  tum 
bled  down  the  hill.  Let  us  look  around." 

This  advice  was  followed,  and  after  a  long 
hunt  a  rock  was  found  in  a  hollow.  It  had  a 
peculiar  mark  cut  upon  it. 

"That's  it !"  cried  Bahama  Bill,  in  delight.  "I 
knew  it  must  be  around  here  somewhere.  But 
what  made  that  big  rock  tumble  down?" 

"Maybe  somepody  pushed  him  ofer,"  said 
Hans. 

"Four  men  couldn't  budge  that  rock,"  declared 
Fred. 


230     THE  ROVER  P-O  YS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"I  believe  an  earthquake  must  have  done  it," 
came  from  Anderson  Rover,  and  suddenly  his 
face  grew  grave.  "I  trust  no  earthquake  has 
disturbed  the  treasure  cave,"  he  added. 

They  pushed  on,  but  scarcely  had  they  cov  - 
ered  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when  Bahama  Bill  called 
another  halt.  And  well  he  might,  for  the  trail 
they  had  been  following  came  to  an  abrupt  end 
in  front  of  a  pit  several  rods  in  diameter  and 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  deep.  The  bottom  of  the 
pit  was  choked  up  with  rocks,  dead  trees  and 
brushwood. 

"What  now?"  asked  Mr.  Rover,  and  his  tone 
betrayed  his  uneasiness. 

"This  wasn't  here  afore,"  said  the  old  tar, 
briefly.  He  was  so  "stumped"  he  could  scarcely 
speak. 

"You  are  sure?" 

"Dead  certain." 

"Then  this  isle  has  undoubtedly  been  visited 
by  an  earthquake  within  the  last  few  years." 

"Thet's  it,  Mr.  Rover." 

"Maybe  the  trail  can  be  picked  up  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hole,"  came  from  Fred.  "Let  us  walk 
around." 

He  and  some  of  the  others  started  to  do  so, 
but  soon  came  to  a  place  where  walking  became 
uncertain  and  dangerous.  Songbird  went  into 


A  MISSING  LANDMARK 

one  hole  up  to  his  waist  and  poor  Hans  disap 
peared  entirely. 

"Hellup!  hellup!"  roared  the  German  boy. 
"Bull  me  owid,  somepody!" 

Aleck  was  close  at  hand,  and  reaching  down 
into  the  hole  he  got  hold  of  Hans'  hand.  It  was 
a  hard  pull,  but  presently  Anderson  Rover  took 
hold,  too,  and  between  him  and  the  colored  man 
they  got  the  German  youth  to  the  surface.  Hans' 
face  and  clothing  were  covered  with  dust  and 
dirt  and  he  was  scratched  in  several  places. 

"I  dink  I  was  goin'  t'rough  to  Chiny !"  he  said. 
"You  pet  my  life  I  vos  careful  after  dis  vere  I 
valk,  yah!" 

"The  earthquake  seems  to  have  left  this  part  of 
the  isle  full  of  pits  and  holes,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 
"I  hope  my  boys  have  managed  to  steer  clear  of 
the  dangerous  places." 

They  soon  found  they  had  to  turn  back,  and 
now  Bahama  Bill  frankly  declared  that  he  was 
"all  at  sea,"  as  he  put  it. 

"Every  landmark  I  knew  has  been  swept 
away,"  he  said.  "All  I  can  say  is,  the  ca/e  is 
in  that  direction,"  and  he  pointed  with  his  hand. 
"But  it  may  be  buried  out  o'  sight  now,"  he 
added,  dismally. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  retrace  their 
steps,  and  this  they  did  as  far  as  they  were  able. 


232     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

They  had  covered  about  half  the  distance  when 
they  saw  a  shaft  of  light  shoot  around  the  tree- 
tops  near  them. 

"There  is  that  strange  light!"  cried  Songbird. 

"Let  us  find  out  what  it  is !"  added  Fred. 

They  tried  to  follow  the  light  and  in  doirrg  this 
became  hopelessly  lost  in  the  jungle.  Then  one 
of  the  boys  struck  one  of  the  oil  lanterns  on  a 
rock  and  smashed  it,  thus  doing  away  with  that 
much  of  the  illumination  they  carried. 

"We  must  be  careful,"  said  Anderson  Rover. 
"We  are  making  no  progress  so  far  as  the  treas 
ure  is  concerned.  We  had  better  try  to  find  our 
way  back  to  the  shore,  and  try  to  find  my  sons." 
And  this  was  agreed  to  by  all. 

But  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  get  back  to  the 
shore,  and  an  hour  later  found  them  in  a  tangle 
of  undergrowth.  Aleck  was  ahead,  accompanied 
by  Fred  and  Songbird. 

"Hark!  I  heah  something!"  cried  the  colored 
man,  presently. 

"Somebody  is  calling!"  cried  Songbird. 

"Maybe  it's  Dick  and  the  others !"  added  Fred. 

They  called  in  return  and  then  they  fired  off  a 
pistol.  There  was  a  brief  silence  and  then  came 
the  call  once  more. 

"Come  on,  dis  way!"  yelled  Aleck,  and  plunged 
through  the  underbrush  with  the  boys  following. 


A  MISSING  LANDMARK 


233 


He  continued  to  call  and  at  last  made  out  the 
voices  of  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  quite  plainly. 

'Tse  found  de  boys !"  cried  the  colored  man  in 
delight.  "I'se  found  de  boys!"  And  he  plunged 
on  again  until  he  gained  the  clearing  where  the 
three  lads  were  tied  to  the  trees.  With  his 
pocketknife  he  cut  their  bonds. 

"Good  for  you,  Aleck!"  cried  Dick.  "I  am 
more  than  glad  to  see  you.'" 

"And  so  am  I,"  added  Sam  and  Tom  in  a 
breath. 

Then  the  others  came  up,  and  the  Rover  boys 
had  to  tell  their  story,  to  which  the  members  of 
the  second  party  listened  with  the  keenest  of  in 
terest. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

TRAIL    THROUGH    THE    JUNGI,S 


"SiD  MERRICK  is  certainly  in  deadly  earnest," 
was  Mr.  Rover's  comment,  after  the  boys  had 
finished  their  tale.  "He  means  to  get  hold  of  that 
treasure  by  hook  or  by  crook,  and  he  will  stop 
at  nothing  to  gain  his  end." 

"We  want  to  go  after  him  and  his  gang,"  said 
Dick.  "We  ought  not  to  lose  a  minute  doing  it." 

"Can  you  walk,  Dick?" 

"I  guess  so,  although  being  tied  up  made  me 
rather  stiff." 

"I  see  your  wrist  is  bleeding." 

"Yes,  and  I  tried  pretty  hard  to  free  myself.0 

•'And  I  tried,  too,"  added  Sam.  "But  I 
couldn't  budge  a  single  knot." 

"We  could  not  unknot  the  knots,"  added  Tom, 
who  was  bound  to  have  his  joke. 

It  was  now  morning,  for  which  all  were 
thankful.  The  lights  were  put  out,  and  the  whole 
Darty  partook  of  some  of  the  provisions  on  hand. 

"I    believe    Merrick    would    have    left    us    to 

234 


THE  TRAIL  THROUGH  THE  JUNGLE      235 

starve,"  said  Sam.  "He  is  the  greatest  rascal  I 
ever  knew!" 

The  Rover  boys  pointed  out  the  direction  Sid 
Merrick  and  his  party  had  taken.  Bahama  Bill 
said  that  trail  was  new  to  him,  and  if  it  led  to  the 
treasure  cave  he  did  not  know  it. 

"But  I'll  know  the  cave  as  soon  as  I  see  it — 
if  it  is  still  there,"  he  added. 

"Well,  you  won't  see  it  if  it  isn't  there,"  said 
Dick,  grimly.  "That  earthquake  may  have 
changed  the  whole  face  of  that  portion  of  the 
isle." 

The  trail  appeared  to  make  a  wide  sweep  to- 
the  westward,  and  led  them  over  ground  that  was 
unusually  rough.  The  trailing  vines  were  every 
where  and  they  had  to  brush  away  innumerable 
spider  webs  as  they  progressed.  Once  Songbird 
came  upon  some  spiders  larger  than  any  he  had 
yet  seen  and  two  crawled  on  his  shoulder,  caus 
ing  him  to  yell  in  fright. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Dick. 

"Spiders!  Two  were  just  going  to  bite  me,, 
but  I  got  rid  of  'em !" 

"Don't  be  afraid,  Songbird,"  came  from  Tom. 
"Why  don't  you  study  them  and  write  a  poem 
about  them?" 

"A  poem  about  spiders!  Ugh!"  And  Song 
bird's  face  showed  his  disgust. 


336     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Der  spider  vos  a  pusy  little  animal,"  ob 
served  Hans.  "He  sphins  his  veb  und  attends 
strictly  to  business.  I  dink  I  make  up  some 
hoetry  apout  him,"  and  the  German  boy  began: 

"Der  vos  von  leetle  sphider 

Vot  lif  ed  owid  in  der  voot, 

He  made  himself  a  leetle  veb 

Und  said  dot  it  vos  goot. ' ' 

"Hurrah,  for  Hans!"  cried  Tom.  "He's  the 
true  poet  of  spiderdom !"  and  then  he  added : 
"Hans,  we'll  crown  you  poet  laureate  if  you  say 
so." 

"I  ton't  von  no  crown,"  answered  Hans,  com 
placently.  "I  chust  so  veil  vear  mine  cap  al- 
retty." 

As  the  party  progressed  the  way  become  more 
uncertain,  and  at  last  they  reached  the  edge  of  a 
swamp,  beyond  which  was  some  kind  of  a  cane- 
brake.  They  saw  numerous  footprints  in  the  soft 
soil,  and  these  led  further  still  to  the  westward. 

"Listen!"  said  Dick,  presently,  and  held  up 
his  hand. 

All  did  as  requested  and  from  a  distance  heard 
somebody  calling  to  somebody  else.  Then  came 
a  reply  in  Sid  Merrick's  voice. 

"Merrick  is  talking  to  Shelley,"  said  Dick. 
"They  have  lost  the  right  trail,  too." 


THE  TRAIL  THROUGH  THE  JUNGLE      237 

"Hang  the  luck!"  they  heard  Shelley  say. 
"No  path  at  all?" 

"None,"  answered  Sid  Merrick. 

"There  is  no  path  here  either — it's  a  regular 
jungle,"  came  from  Cuffer,  who  was  not  far  off. 

"I'm  all  stuck  up  with  the  thorns,"  put  in  Tad 
Sobber.  "I  think  we  were  foolish  to  come  to 
such  a  spot  as  this." 

"You  can  go  back  if  you  want  to,"  answered 
his  uncle,  who  was  evidently  out  of  patience. 
"Nobody  is  keeping  you." 

"I  am  not  going  back  alone — I  couldn't  find 
the  way,"  answered  Tad. 

"Then  don't  growl." 

"I  reckon  we'll  all  have  to  go  back  and  wait 
till  that  Spaniard  can  show  us  the  way,"  said 
Shelley. 

"That's  well  enough  to  say,  Shelley.  But  sup 
posing  those  Rovers  come  here  in  the  mean 
time?" 

"Those  boys?" 

"Yes,  and  their  father,  and  the  others  on  that 
steam  yacht,"  went  on  Sid  Merrick  earnestly. 

"They  can't  find  the  cave  any  quicker  than 
we  can — if  Wingate  did  as  he  promised." 

"But  if  he  didn't?  He's  a  good  deal  of  a  cow 
ard  and  perhaps  he  didn't  have  the  nerve  to  dose 
Bahama  Bill." 


238     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

More  talk  followed,  but  as  the  men  were  now 
moving  in  another  direction  the  Rovers  and  their 
companions  made  out  little  more  of  the  conver 
sation. 

"What  shall  we  do,  confront  them?"  asked 
J  Sam  of  his  parent. 

"Not  if  they  are  going  back  to  their  ship,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Rover.  "We  can  watch  them  and 
see  what  they  do." 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  they  saw  that  the 
Merrick  party  had  started  for  the  north  side  of 
the  isle.  They  waited  in  silence  until  all  were 
well  out  of  hearing. 

"I  am  glad  we  are  rid  of  them — at  least  for 
the  time  being,"  said  Anderson  Rover.  "Now 
we  can  continue  the  treasure  hunt  in  peace." 

"But  dem  fellers  will  be  suah  to  come  back," 
interposed  Aleck. 

"I  know  that,  Aleck,  but  they  won't  come  back 
right  away.  Evidently  they  are  returning  to 
their  vessel  to  get  that  Spaniard,  Doranez." 

"I'd  like  to  have  punched  Merrick's  head  for 
.tying  me  up,"  growled  Tom. 

"It  will  be  punishment  enough  for  him  if  we 
get  the  treasure,"  answered  Mr.  Rover. 

"If  we  do." 

"You  are  not  ready  to  give  up  yet,  are  you, 
Tom?" 


THE  TRAIL  THROUGH  THE  JUNGLE      239 

"Oh,  no.  But  finding  that  treasure  isn't  go- 
irrg  to  be  as  easy  as  I  thought." 

"We  ought  to  be  able  to  find  some  trace  of  the 
cave  pretty  soon — the  isle  is  so  small.  If  the  isle 
was  large  it  would  be  a  different  matter." 

They  decided  to  advance,  some  of  the  party 
skirting  the  swamp  in  one  direction  and  some  in 
another.  It  was  difficult  work  and  they  did  not 
wonder  that  Merrick  and  his  party  had  given  up 
in  disgust.  Occasionally  they  had  to  wade  in 
water  up  to  their  ankles  and  then  climb  through 
brushwood  that  was  all  but  impassible.  They 
tore  their  clothing  more  than  once,  and  scratches 
were  numerous. 

The  sun  had  been  shining  brightly,  but  now, 
as  if  to  add  to  their  misery,  it  went  under  some 
heavy  clouds,  casting  a  deep  gloom  over  the 
jungle. 

"We  are  goin'  to  have  a  storm,"  said  Bahama 
Bill.  "An'  when  it  comes  I  reckon  it  will  be 
a  lively  one.  I  remember  onct,  when  I  was  on 
the  island  o'  Cuby,  we  got  a  hurricane  that  come 
putty  nigh  to  sweepin'  everything  off  the  place. 
It  took  one  tree  up  jest  whar  I  was  standin'  an' 
carried  it  'bout  half  a  mile  out  into  the  ocean. 
Thet  tree  struck  the  foremast  o'  a  brig  at  anchor 
an'  cut  it  off  clean  as  a  whistle.  Some  o'  the  sail 
ors  thought  the  end  o'  the  world  was  comin'." 


240     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"They  certainly  do  have  some  heavy  hurri 
canes  down  here,"  remarked  Anderson  Rover. 
"But  let  us  hope  we'll  escape  all  such,  even  though 
we  get  a  wetting,"  he  added,  as  he  felt  a  few 
drops  of  rain. 

Soon  it  was  raining  steadily,  and  when  they 
reached  a  spot  clear  of  trees  they  got  soaked  to 
the  skin.  But  as  it  was  very  warm  they  did  not 
mind  this. 

"It's  like  taking  a  bath  without  troubling  about 
undressing,"  said  Tom,  and  this  remark  caused 
a  smile. 

They  were  now  in  a  bunch  once  more,  with 
Bahama  Bill  leading  them.  The  old  tar  was 
looking  sharply  ahead  and  soon  he  gave  a  grunt 
of  satisfaction. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Anderson  Rover  eagerly. 

"I  know  where  I  am  now,"  was  the  reply. 
"And  unless  that  earthquake  knocked  it  skyhigh 
thet  cave  ought  to  be  right  ahead  o'  us !" 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A    DISMAYING    DISCOVERY 

THE  announcement  that  the  treasure  cave  must 
be  just  ahead  of  them  rilled  the  entire  party  with 
renewed  energy,  and  regardless  of  the  rain,  which 
was  now  coming  down  heavily,  they  pushed  on 
behind  Bahama  Bill  in  a  close  bunch,  each  eager 
to  be  the  first  to  behold  the  sought-for  spot. 

There  was  no  longer  any  trail,  and  they  had 
to  pick  their  way  over  rough  rocks  and  through 
brushwood  and  vines  which  were  thick  regard 
less  of  the  fact  that  they  had  little  or  no  rooting 
places. 

"I  guess  we've  got  to  earn  that  treasure  if  we 
get  it,"  said  Sam,  as  he  paused  to  get  his  breath. 

"It  certainly  looks  that  way,"  answered  Dick, 
as  he  wiped  the  rain  and  perspiration  from  his 
face.  "I  wonder  how  much  further  we  have 
to  go?" 

That  question  was  answered  almost  imme 
diately,  for  Bahama  Bill,  turning  the  corner  of 

241 


242     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

several  extra  large  rocks,  came  to  a  halt  with  a 
grunt  of  dissatisfaction. 

"Well,  what  now?"  questioned  Anderson 
Rover. 

"It's  gone!" 

"What,  the  cave?"  asked  several. 

"Yes — she's  gone,  swallowed  up,  busted!"  an 
swered  the  old  tar.  "Thet  air  earthquake  done  it 
an'  no  error,"  he  went  on.  "It  jest  shook  thet 
pile  o'  rock  wot  made  the  cave  into  a  heap,  and 
there's  the  heap." 

-  Bahama  Bill  pointed  in  front  of  him,  where  a 
large  quantity  of  rocks  lay  in  a  scattered  mass, 
many  of  them  ten  and  twenty  tons  in  weight.  At 
one  point  was  what  he  said  had  been  the  entrance 
to  the  cave,  but  this  was  completely  blocked  by 
the  stones. 

"Vot's  der  madder,  can't  ve  get  in?"  queried 
Hans,  with  a  look  of  real  concern  on  his  honest 
face. 

"That  doesn't  look  like  it,"  answered  Fred. 
"Too  bad,  and  after  coming  so  far  for  this  treas 
ure,  too!" 

"We  must  get  in  there  somehow!"  cried  Dick. 

"Why  can't  we  blow  up  the  rocks  with  dyna 
mite,"  suggested  Tom. 

"We   can — but   it   will   take   time,"   said   his 


THEY  PUSHED  ON  BEHIND  BAHAMA  BILL.    />««•<•  2ft. 
The  Rover  Boys  on  Treasure  Isle. 


A  DISMAYING  DISCOVERY 

father.  He  turned  to  Bahama  Bill.  "About  how 
far  into  the  cave  was  the  treasure  placed?" 

"Oh,  at  least  a  hundred  feet — maybe  two  hun 
dred." 

Anderson  Rover  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  which  was 
echoed  by  his  sons.  To  get  down  into  that  mass 
of  rocks  a  distance  of  from  one  to  two  hundred 
feet  would  surely  be  a  herculean  task,  if  not  an 
impossible  one.  And  then,  too,  there  was  a  ques 
tion  whether  or  not  the  treasure  had  not  dropped 
down  through  some  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  cave 
after  the  earthquake. 

"I'll  have  to  think  this  over,"  said  Anderson 
Rover,  after  an  examination  of  the  rocks.  "We'll 
have  to  try  to  locate  the  treasure  and  then  see  if 
we  can  raise  enough  dynamite  to  blow  the  rocks 
away.  More  than  likely,  if  we  undertake  the 
task,  it  will  take  a  long  time — perhaps  weeks  and 
months." 

"What,  as  long  as  that  ?"  cried  Sam,  in  dismay. 

"Well,  if  the  treasure  is  as  valuable  as  re 
ported  it  will  be  worth  it,"  answered  Dick. 

"But  in  the  meantime,  what  of  Sid  Merrick 
and  his  gang?"  asked  Tom.  "More  than  likely 
they  will  make  us  seven  kinds  of  trouble  and  do 
their  best  to  get  the  treasure  away  from  us." 

"We  shall  have  to  protect  ourselves  as  well  a» 
we  can,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 


244 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 


After  that  it  rained  so  hard  they  were  forced 
to  seek  shelter  under  a  thick  bunch  of  palms. 
The  rain  continued  for  half  an  hour  longer  and 
then  the  sun  came  out  strongly,  and  the  jungle 
became  steaming  hot. 

With  Bahama  Bill  to  guide  them,  they  walked 
around  what  had  been  the  top  of  the  treasure 
cave.  From  some  landmarks  which  had  not  been 
totally  destroyed  by  the  earthquake  the  old  tar 
felt  certain  that  there  could  be  no  mistake  and 
that  the  treasure  must  be  buried  beneath  them. 

"But  how  far  down  you'll  have  to  go  to  reach 
it  I  can't  tell,"  he  added.  "It's  like  them  ile  well 
diggers — sometimes  they  strike  ile  near  the  top 
o'  the  ground,  an'  then  ag'in  they  have  to  bore 
putty  deep  down.  It's  my  hope  ye  won't  have  to 
roll  away  more'n  two  or  three  rocks  to  git  into 
the  hole  an'  put  your  hands  on  the  boxes  with 
the  gold  and  jewels." 

"If  we  only  had  to  roll  away  two  or  three 
rocks  I'd  be  for  doing  the  rolling  right  now!" 
cried  Tom. 

"I'd  like  to  see  you  roll  a  rock  weighing  ten 
or  fifteen  tons,"  observed  Songbird.  "You'd 
want  about  twenty  horses  to  even  start  it." 

Now  that  the  first  disappointment  was  over, 
the  Rovers  began  to  consider  getting  down  into 
the  cave  from  a  purely  practical  point.  They 


A  DISMAYING  DISCOVERY 


245 


looked  over  all  the  big  rocks  with  care,  making  a 
note  of  such  as  ought  to  be  blasted  away  and  of 
others  that  could  be  removed  with  the  aid  of  a 
rope  and  pulleys. 

"Let  us  see  if  we  cannot  gain  the  shore  of  the 
bay  in  a  straight  line  from  here,"  said  Mr.  Rover, 
after  the  examination  of  the  ground  had  come  to 
an  end.  "H  we  can  it  will  make  it  so  much 
easier  to  go  back  and  forth  from  the  steam 
yacht." 

They  had  a  compass  with  them,  and  leaving  the 
vicinity  of  the  shattered  cave,  struck  out  in  a 
direct  line  for  Horeshoe  Bay.  Much  to  their  sur« 
prise  they  found  an  easy  path,  and  came  out  on 
the  sandy  beach  almost  before  they  knew  it. 

"Well,  1  never!"  cried  Dick.  "If  we  had 
known  of  this  before,  what  a  lot  of  trouble  we 
might  have  saved  ourselves." 

"Well,  we  know  it  now,"  answered  Tom. 
"And  as  we  marked  the  path  it  will  be  an  easy 
matter  in  the  future  to  go  back  and  forth  from 
the  cave  to  the  bay." 

It  took  them  some  time  to  get  their  boat,  and 
it  was  almost  nightfall  before  they  reached  the 
steam  yacht.  It  can  readily  be  imagined  that 
the  Stanhopes  and  Lanings  awaited  their  com 
ing  with  interest. 

"What  success,  Dick?"  cried  Dora  eagerly. 


246     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Not  so  very  much  as  yet,"  he  answered,  so 
berly,  for  he  hated  to  disappoint  the  -girl  who  was 
so  dear  to  him.  And  then  he  told  her  of  all  that 
had  happened.  She  shuddered  when  she  found 
he  had  been  a  prisoner  of  Sid  Merrick  and  his 
followers. 

"Oh,  Dick,  I  am  so  thankful  you  escaped,"  she 
cried,  with  tears  in  her  eyes.  "You  must  not  get 
into  such  a  situation  again!  Why,  the  whole 
treasure  isn't  worth  it." 

"But  I  want  to  get  that  money  and  the  jewels 
for  you,  Dora." 

"Yes,  but  I  don't  want  money  and  jewels  if — 
if  you  are — are  going  to  get  hurt,"  she  answered, 
and  her  deep  eyes  looked  him  through  and 
through. 

"I'll  be  careful  after  this — but  we  are  going  to 
get  the  treasure,  sure  thing,"  he  added,  stoutly. 

"I  was  afraid  an  earthquake  might  have  played 
pranks  with  that  cave,"  was  Captain  Barforth's 
comment.  "An  earthquake  can  shake  down  the 
top  of  a  cave  quicker  than  it  can  shake  down 
anything  else.  It  doesn't  take  much  to  do  it." 

The  captain  said  he  had  a  fair  quantity  of 
powder  on  board,  to  be  used  in  the  cannon  for 
saluting  and  signalling.  If  they  wanted  dyna 
mite,  however,  he'd  have  to  run  over  to  one  of 
the  big  islands  for  it. 


247 

"And  then  we  may  have  trouble  getting  it,"  he 
added.  "We'd  probably  have  to  buy  up  the  sup 
ply  of  some  contractor  who  happened  to  have  it 
on  hand." 

"I  don't  like  to  think  of  leaving  the  island 
while  Merrick  and  his  crowd  are  around,"  an 
swered  Anderson  Rover. 

On  the  following  morning  Mr.  Rover  and 
Captain  Barforth  went  ashore,  taking  Dick,  Tom 
and  Sam  along.  The  steam  yacht  was  left  in 
charge  of  Asa  Carey,  and  the  mate  was  told  to 
remain  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  reef  and  to 
send  some  of  the  others  ashore  armed  if  there 
came  a  signal  of  distress. 

"We  have  enemies  on  this  isle,"  said  Captain 
Barforth.  "And  they  may  try  to  do  us  harm." 

"I'll  watch  out,"  answered  the  mate,  shortly. 
And  then  he  turned  away  with  a  thoughtful  look 
on  his  sour  countenance.  That  there  was  some 
thing  on  his  mind  was  evident. 

The  small  boat  was  brought  ashore  at  the 
point  where  the  path  led  directly  to  the  sunken 
cave.  Although  there  was  a  lively  breeze  blow 
ing,  those  landing  did  so  without  mishap.  They 
had  with  them  some  tools  for  digging,  and  also 
a  rock  drill  and  some  powder. 

"It  will  do  no  harm  to  blast  one  or  two  of 
the  rocks  and  see  what  is  underneath,"  said  Ai>- 


248     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

derson  Rover.  "We  may  possibly  be  lucky 
enough  to  find  some  entrance  into  the  cave,  al 
though  I  must  confess  I  doubt  it." 

When  they  got  to  the  vicinity  of  the  shattered 
cave  they  found  everything  as  they  had  left  it. 
Even  a  pick  Tom  had  forgotten  remained  undis 
turbed. 

"Evidently  the  Merrick  crowd  has  not  yet 
found  its  way  here,"  said  Dick. 

"We  shall  have  to  be  on  our  guard  when  we 
go  to  blasting,"  answered  his  parent.  "For  the 
noise  may  bring  that  rascal  and  his  gang  here 
in  a  hurry." 

And  then  all  set  to  work  with  vigor  to  see  if 
by  some  means  they  could  not  get  down  under 
the  rocks  and  to  the  spot  where  the  precious 
treasure  had  been  deposited  so  many  years  be 
fore. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

WHAT   HAPPENED  ON  THE  STEAM   YACHT 

ABOUT  an  hour  after  the  Rovers  and  Captain 
Barforth  had  left  the  steam  yacht  Dora  came 
from  the  forward  deck  looking  much  disturbed. 

"What  is  the  trouble?"  asked  her  mother. 

"Oh,  not  very  much,"  she  answered,  for  she 
did  not  wish  to  worry  her  parent.  "Where  is 
Fred?" 

"I  think  he  is  at  the  stern,  fishing  with  Hans 
and  John." 

"I  want  to  see  them,"  continued  Dora,  and  hur 
ried  off. 

She  found  the  three  chums  at  the  stern.  They 
had  been  fishing  for  some  time  and  several  fish 
lay  on  the  deck  near  them. 

"Hullo,  Dora,  want  to  try  your  luck?"  asked 
Fred,  pleasantly.  "I'll  fix  you  a  line — and  fix 
lines  for  Nellie  and  Grace,  too,  if  they  want 
them." 

"I  want  to  tell  you  boys  something,"  said  the 

249 


250     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

girl,  in  almost  a  whisper,  and  not  noticing  what 
Fred  had  proposed.  "I — I  am  afraid  something 
is  going  to  happen." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Songbird,  and  all  three 
youths  looked  at  Dora  anxiously. 

"I  was  just  up  near  the  bow  of  the  boat,  ana 
I  overheard  Mr.  Carey,  the  mate,  talking  to  Mr. 
Bossermann,  the  assistant  engineer.  You  know 
I  don't  like  those  men  a  bit." 

"None  of  us  do,"  said  Fred. 

"Didn't  ve  haf  a  quarrel  mid  both  of  dem," 
added  Hans. 

"They  were  so  in  earnest  that  they  did  not 
notice  me,"  continued  Dora.  "I  was  going  to 
walk  away  when  I  saw  them,  but  then  I  over 
heard  the  name  of  Walt  Wingate  and  I  turned 
back  to  learn  what  they  were  saying  about  that 
bad  man.  It  seems  both  the  mate  and  the  assist 
ant  engineer  have  been  talking  to  Wingate,  and 
Wingate  has  made  them  an  offer." 

"Does  Wingate  want  his  liberty?"  questioned 
Fred. 

"Yes,  and  he  wants  more — he  wants  the  mate 
and  the  assistant  engineer  help  him  to  defeat  Mr. 
Rover's  plan  to  get  the  treasure.  He  told  Mr. 
Carey  and  Mr.  Bossermann  that  if  they  would 
aid  him  he  was  sure  Sid  Merrick  would  reward 
them  handsomely." 


WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  YACHT       251 

"And  what  did  Carey  and  Bossermann  say  to 
that?"  asked  Songbird  eagerly. 

"They  said  they'd  like  to  talk  it  over  with  Sid 
Merrick." 

"The  scoundrels!"  vociferated  Fred.  "Talk  it 
over  with  Merrick !  We  ought  to  put  'em  both  in 
irons!" 

"I  wanted  to  hear  more,  but  they  walked  awa> 
and  I  was  afraid  to  follow  them,"  continued  Dora. 
"I  thought  I  had  better  tell  you  and  perhaps  you'd 
know  what  to  do.  I  didn't  want  to  worry  mother 
or  my  aunt." 

"We  ought  to  let  Captain  Barforth  know  of 
this  at  once,"  said  Songbird. 

"Chust  vot  I  say,"  said  Hans.  "Der  better 
der  quicker." 

"How  can  you  let  him  know?" 

"One  of  us  might  row  ashore,"  said  Fred. 
"The  others  ought  to  stay  behind  to  watch 
affairs." 

"I'll  go  ashore,"  said  Songbird  promptly. 

"You'll  have  to  have  one  of  the  sailors  row 
you." 

"I  know  h.  I  can  take  Hollbrook,  he's  a  pretty 
decent  sort  of  chap  and  I  know  he  can  row  well." 

The  fishing  lines  were  wound  up,  and  without 
delay  Songbird  pi«sented  himself  to  Asa  Carey. 


252     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

He  and  the  others  had  agreed  to  say  nothing  to 
the  mate  about  what  Dora  had  overheard. 

"Mr.  Carey,  I  wish  to  go  ashore,"  he  said. 
"Can  I  have  Hollbrook  row  me  to  the  beach  ?" 
,      "Go  ashore?"   growled  the  mate.      "I   didn't 
•  know  anybody  else  was  going." 

"Well,  I've  just  made  up  my  mind  to  go.  Can 
Hollbrook  take  me  in  one  of  the  small  boats  ?" 

"Why  didn't  you  go  when  Captain  Barforth 
went?" 

"I  didn't  think  of  it  then." 

"I  don't  know  that  I  can  spare  Hollbrook," 
grumbled  the  mate.  He  was  eyeing  Songbird  in 
a  suspicious  manner. 

"He  doesn't  seem  to  be  doing  anything  just 
now." 

"Say,  who  is  running  this  vessel,  you  or  I?" 
cried  Asa  Carey. 

"Captain  Barforth  is  running  her.  But  she  is 
under  charter  to  Mr.  Rover,  and  Mr.  Rover  told 
me  to  use  a  small  boat  whenever  I  pleased,"  an 
swered  Songbird  sharply.  "If  you  refuse  to  let 
me  have  a  boat  say  so." 

"Oh,  I — er — I  didn't  say  that,"  stammered  the 
mate.  "If  you  want  to  go  do  so.  But  I  don't 
know  if  Hollbrook  can  get  you  through  the  reef 
in  safety  or  not." 

"I'll  risk  it,"  said  Songbird  briefly  and  hurried 


WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  YACHT 


253 


below  to  prepare  himself  for  the  trip.     Fred  and 
Hans  met  him  in  his  stateroom. 

"I  think  Carey  is  suspicious,"  said  Songbird. 
"Keep  an  eye  on  him,  and  if  anything  goes 
wrong  shoot  off  the  cannon  or  a  gun.  I'll  do  my 
best  to  find  Mr.  Rover  and  the  captain  and  bring 
them  back  as  quickly  as  possible." 

In  a  few  minutes  Songbird  and  the  sailor  were 
over  the  side  of  the  Rainbow.  Hollbrook  could 
pull  a  long,  telling  stroke,  and  under  his  guid 
ance  the  craft  soon  shot  through  the  opening  in 
the  reef  and  glided  safely  into  the  bay. 

"I  am  glad  to  put  foot  on  shore,"  said  the 
sailor,  as  he  leaped  out  on  the  sand. 

"I  want  you  to  remain  near  the  boat,"  said 
Songbird.  "I  want  to  see  the  captain  and  it  is 
possible  we  may  want  to  get  back  to  the  steam 
yacht  in  a  hurry." 

"Oh!    All  right,  sir." 

"While  I  am  gone  watch  the  Rainbow  and  if 
she  should  steam  away  any  great  distance  call 
me." 

"Why,  I  thought  orders  were  for  us  to  remain 
near  the  reef,"  cried  Hollbrook. 

"So  they  were,  but  Mr.  Carey  is  in  command 
now." 

Leaving  the  sailor  on  the  sand,  Songbird  hur 
ried  up  the  path  which  the  Rovers  and  Captain 


254     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Barforth  had  taken  earlier  in  the  day.  He  had 
covered  less  than  half  the  distance  to  the  shat 
tered  cave  when  he  heard  a  shout  from  the 
beach.  Then,  from  the  water,  came  the  sound  of 
a  shotgun. 

"Something  is  wrong  already!"  he  gasped,  as 
he  stopped  running.  "I  wonder  what  it  can  be  ?" 

He  hesitated,  not  knowing  whether  to  go  for 
ward  or  back.  Then  he  set  up  a  yell  on  his  own 
accord. 

"Captain  Barforth!  Mr.  Rover!  This  way, 
quick!"  he  called  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

At  first  no  answer  came  back,  but  presently  he 
heard  Tom's  shrill  whistle,  and  then  a  cry  from 
Sam  and  Dick.  The  three  Rover  boys  came 
down  the  path  pell-mell,  and  their  father  and  the 
captain  were,  not  far  behind  them. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  came  simultaneously 
from  Dick  and  Tom.  Sam  would  have  asked 
the  question  too,  but  he  was  out  of  breath. 

"It's  Asa  Carey,"  answered  Songbird.  And 
then,  as  the  others  came  up,  he  told  what  Dora 
had  overheard. 

"And  that  shot  we  heard?"  questioned  Captain 
Barforth. 

"It  told  that  there  was  trouble  on  board,  but 
what  I  don't  know." 


WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  YACHT 


255 


"Let  us  get  to  the  shore,"  said  Dick.  He  was 
thinking  of  Dora  and  her  mother  and  the  Lan- 
ings. 

As  quickly  as  possible  they  dashed  along  to  the 
sandy  beach.  Hollbrook  was  still  calling  for 
Songbird. 

"The  yacht  is  steaming  away!"  he  announced. 
"She  is  standing  to  the  eastward." 

Captain  Barforth  gave  a  look  and  something 
like  a  groan  escaped  him.  The  Rainbow  was  a 
good  mile  away  from  where  she  had  been  sta 
tioned  since  reaching  Treasure  Isle. 

"Can  it  be  possible  Carey  and  Bossermann  are 
running  away  with  the  vessel?"  asked  Sam. 

"That  would  be  both  mutiny  and  robbery,"  an 
swered  the  captain.  "I  gave  orders  to  Carey  to 
leave  her  where  she  was,  unless  a  heavy  blow 
threatened  to  send  her  in — then  he  was  to  stand 
off  until  the  blow  was  over." 

"Do  you  know  what  I  think?"  came  from  Dick. 
"I  think  he  is  going  to  sail  around  to  the  other 
side  of  the  isle.  Probably  he  has  an  idea  of 
consulting  with  Sid  Merrick.  Then,  if  Mer- 
rick's  offer  suits  him,  he  will  do  all  he  can  to 
prevent  us  from  getting  the  treasure." 

"You  mean  he  and  Bossermann  will  throw  in 
their  fortunes  with  Merrick?"  asked  Mr.  Rover. 

"Yes,  and  as  many  more  on  the  steam  yacht  as 


256     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Carey  can  win  over.  I  believe  Carey  is  a  rascal 
and  Bossermann  is  no  better." 

"Yes,  but  they  are  only  two  against  over  a 
dozen?"  said  Captain  Barforth. 

"No,  three,  for  you  must  remember  they  have 
Wingate  with  them,"  put  in  Tom. 

"That  is  true." 

"Can't  we  get  to  the  yacht  somehow?"  asked 
Sam.  He  was  thinking  of  Grace  and  the  other 
girls,  and  wondering  what  would  become  of  them 
in  case  there  was  a  fight  on  board. 

"No,  that  is  out  of  the  question,"  answered 
Mr.  Rover.  "All  we  can  do  is  to  remain  on  the 
isle  and  wait  developments.  If  they  land  we  can 
fight  them,  but  not  before." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

A  NEW  MOVE  OF  THE  ENEMY 

"SOMETHING  is  up." 

It  was  Fred  who  spoke,  only  a  few  minutes 
after  Songbird  and  the  sailor  in  charge  of  the 
rowboat  had  left  the  side  of  the  steam  yacht.  He 
addressed  Hans. 

"Vot  you  vos  see?"  asked  the  German  youth. 

"Look!" 

Hans  looked  and  beheld  Walt  Wingate  on  the 
deck,  in  earnest  conversation  with  the  mate.  The 
deck  hand  was  not  handcuffed  as  he  had  been  a 
short  while  before,  when  tramping  the  forward 
deck  for  air,  by  Captain  Barforth's  permission. 

"Carey  must  haf  daken  dem  handguffs  off," 
said  the  German  youth.  "I  ton't  like  dot.  Maype 
dot  Vingate  make  troubles,  hey?" 

The  boys  watched,  and  presently  saw  Bosser- 
mann  come  up  and  join  the  pair.  Then  Bosser- 
mann  went  below  to  the  engine  room.  Shortly 
after  this  the  yacht  began  to  get  up  steam. 

257 


258     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"We're  moving!"  cried  Dora,  as  she  came  to 
the  boys,  accompanied  by  Nellie  and  Grace. 
"Oh,  what  does  it  mean?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Fred. 

"Can't  you  find  out,  Fred?"  asked  Nellie.  "I 
am  sure  the  captain  said  nothing  about  sailing  be 
fore  he  went  ashore." 

"I'll  find  out — if  the  mate  Tvill  tell  me,"  an 
swered  Fred. 

He  walked  over  to  where  the  mate  stood,  ^lose 
to  the  wheelhouse,  giving  directions  to  the  pilot 
of  the  Rainbow. 

"Mr.  Carey,  where  are  we  bound?"  he  asked, 
respectfully. 

"Oh,  just  going  to  take  a  little  sail  around,  to 
test  the  engine,"  was  the  apparent  indifferent  an 
swer. 

"Is  the  engine  out  of  order?" 

"Not  exactly,  but  I  thought  it  best  to  test  the 
shaft.  The  assistant  engineer  thinks  it  is  weak." 

This  was  apparently  a  fair-enough  answer  and 
Fred  bowed  and  walked  away.  Then  he  went 
down  the  ladder  leading  to  the  engine  room.  He 
met  Frank  Norton  coming  up.  There  was  a  look 
of  concern  on  the  head  engineer's  honest  face. 

"Mr.  Norton,  is  there  anything  wrong  with 
the  engine  or  the  shaft?"  asked  Fred. 

"Nothing  the  matter.    Why?" 


A  NEW  MOVE  OF  THE  ENEMY  250 

"Mr.  Carey  said  there  was,  and  he  is  taking  a 
cruise  around  to  test  them — so  he  says." 

"I  don't  understand  it,  Garrison.  Everything 
»  O.  K." 

"Are  you  in  charge  now?" 

"No,  this  is  my  hour  off.  Bossermann  is  in 
\charge.  By  the  way,  I  see  Powell  went  off  after 
/the  others." 

"Yes,  and  I  wish  the  others  were  back,"  an 
swered  Fred.  He  hesitated  a  moment.  "Mr. 
Norton,  I  believe  you  have  been  with  Captain 
Barforth  a  long  time  and  that  you  and  he  are 
old  chums." 

"That's  right." 

"Then  I  can  trust  you,  can't  I?  It  is  some 
thing  which  concerns  Captain  Barforth  and  this 
vessel  very  much." 

"Sure  you  can  trust  me." 

Without  hesitation,  for  he  felt  sure  Norton 
was  both  honest  and  reliable,  Fred  told  his  story 
to  the  head  engineer,  who  nodded  many  times 
during  the  recital. 

"I  see  it,"  whispered  Norton.  "I  suspected 
something  was  wrong.  Carey  and  Bossermann 
are  in  some  sort  of  a  plot  with  this  Wingate,  who 
came  on  board  solely  to  aid  that  Sid  Merrick.  I 
believe  Carey  is  going  off  to  meet  Merrick  and 
see  if  he  can  make  a  deal  with  him." 


•z6o     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"That  is  what  I  think.  How  can  we  thwart 
him?" 

"Better  fire  that  gun,  as  a  signal  to  those  on 
shore,  first  of  all.  Then  we'll  see  what  the  mate 
has  to  say." 

Fred  needed  no  urging  and  soon  he  brought  up 
a  shotgun  from  the  cabin  and  discharged  it — the 
signal  heard  by  Songbird,  as  we  already  know. 
Scarcely  had  this  been  accomplished  when  Asa 
Carey  rushed  down  upon  him  from  the  pilot 
house. 

"Hi!  what  did  you  do  that  for?"  roared  the 
mate,  in  sudden  anger. 

"Just  for  fun,"  answered  Fred,  as  coolly  as  he 
could,  although  his  heart  beat  rapidly. 

"For  fun?" 

"Yes.  Haven't  I  a  right  to  fire  a  gun  if  I  want 
to?" 

"I  reckon  that  was  some  sort  of  a  signal  for 
those  on  shore." 

"And  supposing  it  was,  what  then,  Mr. 
Carey?"  Fred  put  the  question  boldly  and  looked 
the  mate  squarely  in  the  eyes  as  he  spoke. 

"Why — er — it's  most  unusual.  There  was  no  ' 
need  of  a  signal." 

"I  wanted  them  to  know  we  were  moving, 
that's  all." 

"Humph!     There   was   no   use   of   alarming 


A  NEW  MOVE  OF  THE  ENEMY  a6l 

them.     We'll  be  back  long  before  they  want  to 
come  aboard  again." 

"In  that  case  I'll  have  nothing  more  to  say." 

"Don't  you  believe  it?" 

"I'm  bound  to  believe  it,  if  you  say  so." 

"Don't  get  impudent,  young  man!" 

"I  am  not  impudent,  and  you  needn't  get  im 
pudent  either!"  cried  Fred,  his  anger  rising. 
"You  are  in  command  here,  but  this  boat  is  under 
charter  and  just  now  I  represent  the  man  who 
owns  that  charter.  If  you  have  got  to  cruise 
around  to  test  the  engine  and  shaft  well  and 
good,  but  if  you  are  merely  cruising  around  for 
the  fun  of  it  I  say  go  back  to  where  we  came 
from — none  of  us  want  to  do  any  cruising  to 
day." 

At  this  plain  speech  the  mate  grew  purple  in 
the  face.  He  raised  his  hand  as  if  to  strike  the 
youth,  but  just  then  Aleck  came  on  deck,  carry 
ing  a  pitcher  of  ice  water  in  his  hand. 

"Stop  dat!  Don't  yo'  go  fo'  to  hit  dat  boy!" 
cried  the  colored  man.  "If  yo'  do  I'll  fling  dis 
watah  pitcher  at  yo'  head!" 

"You  shut  up,  you  rascally  nigger!"  shouted 
the  mate.  "You  have  nothing  to  say  here!" 

"I'se  got  somet'ing  to  say  if  yo'  hit  Massa 
Fred,"  answered  Aleck,  and  held  the  water 
pitcher  as  if  ready  to  launch  it  at  the  mate's  head. 


262     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

There  was  a  moment  of  excitement  and  sev 
eral  crowded  around,  but  then  the  mate  waved 
the  crowd  away. 

"I  shall  report  this  to  Captain  Barforth  as  soon 
as  he  comes  back,"  he  said,  and  turning  on  his 
heel,  he  walked  off.  Fred  went  down  into  the 
cabin,  and  Aleck  followed  him.  A  few  minutes 
later  Norton  joined  the  youth  and  the  others, 
y/ho  had  gathered  to  talk  the  matter  over. 

"We  must  be  on  the  watch,"  said  the  chief  en 
gineer.  "I  am  certain  now  that  Carey  is  up  to 
some  game." 

A  long  discussion  followed,  but  nothing  came 
of  it.  The  steam  yacht  kept  on  its  way  and 
rounded  the  eastern  point  of  Treasure  Isle.  Then 
it  stood  to  the  north-westward. 

"I  hope  he  knows  his  course,"  said  Norton,  to 
the  boys.  "If  he  doesn't  he  stands  a  good  chance 
of  running  us  on  some  key  or  reef." 

If  the  boys  were  excited,  the  girls  and  ladies 
were  more  so.  Nobody  knew  exactly  what  to 
do,  and  each  minute  added  to  the  general  anxiety. 

At  last  the  vessel  rounded  another  point  of  the 
isle  and  came  in  sight  of  the  sea  beyond.  There 
in  the  distance  was  a  steamer  at  rest  on  the 
waves,  and  Fred  and  Hans  felt  certain  she  must 
be  the  Josephine. 

The  two  vessels  were  soon  close  together.    As 


A  NEW  MOVE  OF  THE  ENEMY  263 

the  Rainbow,  came  up  to  the  other  craft,  Walt 
Wingate  went  to  the  rail  and  shouted  something 
through  a  megaphone  which  the  mate  loaned  him. 
Immediately  came  back  an  answering  cry,  but 
the  boys  did  not  catch  what  was  said. 

"This  is  going  pretty  far,"  said  Fred,  to  Frank 
Norton.  "Don't  you  think  I  ought  to  step  in  and 
stop  it?" 

The  chief  engineer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Carey  is  really  in  command  and  it  might  be 
called  mutiny  to  do  anything  to  stop  him." 

"But  supposing  he  allows  Wingate  to  go  <o  that 
other  ship?" 

"Well,  if  Wingate  goes  we'll  be  well  rid  of 
him." 

"Of  course  that  is  true,  but  still " 

Fred  did  not  finish  for  just  then  Asa  Carey 
came  up. 

"I  am  going  to  visit  that  other  steamer,"  he 
said,  to  the  chief  engineer.  "I  shall  take  that 
man  Wingate  along,  and  Bossermann  is  going, 
too.  You  can  remain  right  here  until  I  get 
back." 

Norton  nodded,  but  said  nothing.  The  mate 
looked  at  Fred  as  if  to  say  more,  but  then  ap 
parently  changed  his  mind  and  hurried  away. 
Soon  a  small  boat  was  over  the  side  and  this  was 
manned  by  the  mate,  Bossermann,  Wingate  and 


264     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

a  sailor  named  Ulligan,  a  fellow  noted  for  his 
laziness  and  untrustworthiness.  Without  delay 
the  small  boat  set  out  for  the  Josephine. 

"I  don't  like  this  at  all,"  said  Fred.  "Those 
fellows  mean  mischief  as  sure  as  you  are  born!" 

"I  dink  da  vos  hatch  owid  somedings  mid  dot 
Merrick,"  said  Hans. 

"Perhaps  they  are  plotting  to  gain  possession 
of  this  yacht,"  was  Dora's  comment.  "They  may 
bring  over  a  crowd  to  take  possession  and  make 
us  prisoners !" 

"If  they  try  any  game  like  that  we'll  fight," 
answered  Fred. 

"Dat's  right!"  cried  Aleck.  "We'll  fight,  an' 
fight  mighty  hard,  too !" 

"If  only  the  Rovers  were  here,"  sighed  Dora. 
"I  am  sure  they  would  know  exactly  what  to 
do." 

"They  may  be  having  their  own  troubles  on 
land,"  said  Mrs.  Stanhope.  "Sid  Merrick  is  a 
very  bad  man  and  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  get 
that  treasure  in  his  possession." 


, 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE    HUNT    FOR   THE    TREASURE 

WITH  the  Rainboiv  steaming  away  from 
Horseshoe  Bay,  the  Rovers  and  those  with  them 
on  shore  felt  that  a  crisis  had  been  reached.  If 
it  was  true  that  Carey,  Bossermann  and  Win- 
gate  contemplated  joining  Sid  Merrick  there  was 
no  telling  what  the  enemy  might  not  accomplish 
next. 

"I  have  never  liked  Carey,"  observed  Captain 
Barforth.  "But  I  did  not  imagine  he  would  take 
matters  in  his  own  hands  in  this  fashion.  I  did 
not  think  he  had  the  backbone." 

"It's  the  thought  of  the  treasure  has  done  it," 
answered  Anderson  Rover.  "Many  a  man's  head 
is  turned  because  of  gold." 

Those  on  the  shore  watched  the  steam  yacht 
round  the  eastern  point  of  the  isle.  Each  heart 
sank  as  the  vessel  disappeared  from  view. 

"Well,  we  can  do  nothing  at  present,  but  hope 
for  the  best,"  observed  the  captain.  "We  cannot 
think  of  chasing  them  in  the  rowboats." 

265 


266     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"We  might  tramp  across  the  isle  and  see  where 
they  go  to,"  suggested  Tom.  "The  Josephine 
must  be  over  there  somewhere." 

"Yes,  we  can  do  that,"  answered  Mr.  Rover. 
"But  it  will  be  a  rough  journey." 

"I  have  a  better  idea,"  came  from  Dick. 
"Father  has  his  spyglass  with  him.  Why  not 
ascend  that  hill  back  of  where  the  treasure  cave 
is  and  then  get  up  in  the  highest  tree  there?  A 
fellow  ought  to  be  able  to  see  all  around  from 
that  height." 

"Hurrah!  just  the  thing!"  exclaimed  Sam.  He 
did  not  relish  the  long  tramp  through  the  thorn 
bushes  and  tangle  of  vines. 

Dick's  idea  was  acceptable  to  all,  and  they  set 
off  without  further  delay.  They  took  the  path 
leading  to  the  shattered  cave,  and  then  mounted 
the  small  hill  Dick  had  mentioned.  Close  to  the 
top  stood  a  large  tree. 

"Let  me  go  up!"  exclaimed  Tom,  who  could 
climb  like  a  cat,  and  he  started  without  delay. 

"Look  out  that  you  don't  break  your  neck!" 
cried  his  parent. 

"I'K  be  careful,"  answered  the  fun-loving 
youth.  "This  just  suits  me!"  he  added,  enthusi 
astically. 

"Can't  I  go,  too?"  asked  Sam. 

"If  you  are  careful,"  answered  Mr.  Rover,  and 


THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  TREASURE         267 

up  went  the  lad,  right  on  the  heels  of  his  brother. 
It  was  rather  difficult  work  getting  from  limb  to 
limb,  for  some  were  wide  apart,  but  the  vines, 
which  used  the  tree  as  a  trellis,  aided  them 
greatly.  Soon  Tom  was  close  to  the  top  and 
Sam  speedily  joined  him.  Then  each  took  his 
turn  at  looking  through  the  spyglass. 

"I  see  the  Rainbow!"  cried  Tom.  "She  is 
headed  for  the  north  side  of  the  isle." 

"Yes,  and  yonder  is  another  vessel,"  returned 
Sam,  as  he  pointed  the  glass  in  the  direction. 
"That  must  be  the  Josephine."  And  then  the 
two  youths  shouted  the  news  to  those  below. 

After  that  the  boys  watched  the  progress  of 
the  steam  yacht  with  interest,  keeping  those  be 
low  informed  of  all  that  was  going  on.  They 
saw  the  Rainbow  draw  closer  to  the  other  ves 
sel,  and  saw  the  small  boat  leave  the  steam  yacht. 

"Four  men  are  rowing  to  the  other  vessel," 
announced  Tom.  "We  can't  make  out  who  they 
are." 

They  saw  the  four  men  board  the  other  ves 
sel  and  disappear,  presumably  into  the  cabin. 
Then  came  a  wait  of  over  half  an  hour. 

"This  is  getting  tiresome,"  said  Tom. 

"You  can  go  below  if  you  want  to,"  answered 
Dick,  who  had  come  up,  followed  by  Songbird. 

Tom  descended  to  the  ground  and  Sam  fol- 


265     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

lowed  him.  They  had  just  done  this  when  there 
came  a  cry  from  Dick : 

"Two  boats  are  putting  off  from  that  other 
vessel!  Each  of  them  is  rilled  with  men!" 

"Are  they  coming  ashore  or  going  to  my 
yacht?"  demanded  Captain  Barforth. 

"They  are  heading  for  the  yacht!" 

"They  intend  to  capture  the  Rainbow!" 
groaned  Mr.  Rover.  "Oh,  if  only  we  were  on 
board !" 

In  his  anxiety  to  see  what  was  being  done,  he 
climbed  the  tree  and  so  did  the  captain.  Then 
the  others  came  up,  the  tree  being  large  and 
strong  even  at  the  top  and  capable  of  holding  a 
good  weight. 

"If  those  rascals  try  to  take  my  vessel  I'll  have 
them  all  hung!"  roared  Captain  Barforth,  and 
trembled  with  rage.  "Oh,  if  only  I  was  on 
board !"  And  he  clenched  his  fists. 

"Look!  look!"  ejaculated  Dick,  who  had  the 
spyglass.  "I  think — yes,  the  Rainbow  is  mov- 
ing!" 

"Moving!"  came  from  the  others. 

"Yes,  and  she  is  turning  away  from  the  other 
vessel  and  from  those  in  the  rowboats!" 

"Let  me  see,"  said  the  captain  and  took  the 
spyglass.  "You  are  right,  Dick.  The  Rainbow 
is  running  away  from  them!" 


THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  TREASURE          269 

The  news  was  true,  the  steam  yacht  was  in 
deed  running  away  from  the  Josephine  and  from 
those  in  the  rowboats  who  had  set  out  to  take 
possession  of  her.  It  was  a  time  of  great  ex 
citement 

"The  rowboats  are  getting  close  to  the  Rain* 
bow,"  said  Tom,  who  had  taken  the  glass.  "The 
yacht  doesn't  seem  to  have  much  steam  up." 

"Perhaps  the  fires  were  banked  when  Carey 
left,"  suggested  the  captain.  "Maybe  they  were 
put  out,  so  the  vessel  couldn't  move." 

The  steam  yacht  was  moving  slowly  and  those 
in  the  two  rowboats  were  making  every  effort  to 
catch  up  to  her.  Then  the  black  smoke  began  to 
pour  from  the  funnel  of  the  Josephine. 

"The  other  vessel  is  getting  up  steam,"  said 
Mr.  Rover.  "She  may  catch  the  Rainbow  even 
if  those  in  the  rowboats  do  not." 

Closer  and  closer  to  the  steam  yacht  drew  the 
two  rowboats,  until  it  looked  as  if  the  Rainbow 
would  surely  be  boarded  by  the  enemy.  Then  of 
a  sudden  there  came  a  cloud  of  smoke  from  the 
deck  of  the  steam  yacht,  followed  by  a  stream  of 
sparks  which  went  whizzing  just  over  the  row- 
boats.  Then  followed  more  sparks,  and  balls  of 
fire,  red,  white  and  blue. 

"What  in  the  world  are  they  doing?"  mur 
mured  Captain  Barforth. 


"They  are  shooting  off  something,  but  it  is 
not  a  gun  or  a  cannon,"  answered  Mr.  Rover. 

"Hurrah!  I  know  what  it  is!"  cried  Tom. 
"Good  for  Fred  and  Hans!  Those  are  my  fire 
works — those  I  had  left  from  the  Fourth  of  July 
celebration.  They  are  giving  them  a  dose  of 
rockets  and  Roman  candles!" 

This  news  was  true,  and  as  the  rockets  and 
Roman  candles  hit  the  rowboats  and  the  occu 
pants  the  latter  stopped  rowing  and  then  began 
to  back  water  in  confusion.  Soon  the  rowboats 
turned  back  and  hastened  to  the  side  of  the 
Josephine. 

"That's  what  I  call  repelling  boarders!"  said 
Captain  Barforth,  grimly.  "I  only  hope  the 
fireworks  hold  out." 

"It  is  now  to  be  a  race  between  the  Rainbow 
and  that  other  craft,"  observed  Mr.  Rover,  and 
he  was  right.  Inside  of  fifteen  minutes  both  ves 
sels  were  headed  out  to  sea,  and  running  at  about 
the  same  rate  of  speed.  Soon  the  haze  over  the 
water  hid  both  craft  from  view. 

"Well,  one  thing  is  certain,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 
"Our  friends  are  alive  to  their  danger  and  are 
going  to  do  their  best  to  get  away  from  the 
enemy." 

"And  another  thing  is  that  we  are  left  ma 
rooned  on  this  isle,"  said  the  captain. 


THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  TREASURE         271 

The  party  remained  in  the  tree  a  while  longer, 
and  then,  as  there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do,  they 
descended  to  the  ground. 

"Well,  we  have  one  thing  in  our  favor,"  was 
Dick's  comment.  "Sid  Merrick  and  his  crowd 
must  be  on  the  Josephine,  or  they  wouldn't  chase 
the  Rainbow,  and  that  being  so  they  can't  inter 
rupt  our  treasure  hunt,  at  least  for  the  present." 

"But  if  they  capture  our  steam  yacht  how  are 
we  to  get  away  from  here,  even  if  we  do  un 
cover  the  treasure  ?"  said  Sam. 

"We'll  get  away  somehow — and  make  it  good 
and  hot  for  them  in  the  bargain,"  answered  Tom, 
and  his  father  nodded  in  approval. 

With  their  thoughts  on  the  Rainbow  and  those 
on  board,  the  treasure  hunters  went  back  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  shattered  cave.  Nobody  felt  much 
like  working,  yet  to  remain  idle  made  the  time 
hang  heavily  on  their  hands. 

"There  is  no  use  of  our  going  to  work  in  a 
haphazard  fashion,"  were  Mr.  Rover's  words. 
"We  must  first  go  over  the  ground  carefully  and 
plan  out  just  what  is  best  to  do.  Otherwise  a 
good  portion  of  our  energies  will  be  wasted." 

This  was  sound  advice  and  was  followed  out 
They  surveyed  the  whole  vicinity  with  care, 
pokir/g  in  among  the  rocks  with  long  sticks,  and 
*uraing  over  such  as  were  loose  and  easily  moved. 


i$7a      TJ/E  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  IS', S 

"This  looks  as  if  it  was  going  to  be  a 
winded  job,"  was  Sam's  comment,  and  he  heaved 
a  sigh.  "I  thought  we'd  come  here,  march  ir.to 
the  cave,  and  put  our  hands  right  on  the  gold  and 
diamonds !" 

Dick  was  a  short  distance  away,  poking  into  a 
hole  with  a  stick.  The  stick  was  over  eight  feet 
long,  but  the  end  did  not  appear  to  touch  any 
thing. 

"There  is  some  kind  of  a  hollow  below  here," 
he  said  to  the  others.  "I  think  we  ought  to  in 
vestigate  and  see  how  large  it  is." 

The  others  agreed  with  him,  and  all  set  to  work 
to  pull  aside  half  a  dozen  rocks  which  were  in 
the  way.  They  had  to  use  all  their  strength  and 
even  then  the  largest  of  the  stones  refused  to 
budge. 

"Let  us  get  a  small  tree  and  use  it  for  a  pry," 
suggested  Mr.  Rover. 

They  had  an  ax  with  them,  and  Tom  cut  down 
the  tree  and  trimmed  it.  Then,  resting  the  log  on 
one  stone,  they  inserted  the  end  under  the  big 
rock  and  pressed  down  with  all  their  might. 

"She's  coming!''  shouted  Sam,  as  the  big  stone 
commenced  to  move. 

"Yes,  and  look  at  the  opening  underneath," 
added  Dick.  "It  must  surely  be  part  of  the  cave!'* 


THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  TREASURE          273 

The  sight  of  the  big  hole  made  all  eager  to 
know  if  it  was  really  a  portion  of  the  shattered 
cave  and  they  worked  on  the  big  rock  with  re 
newed  energy.  Twice  it  slipped  back  on  them, 
but  then  they  got  a  new  purchase  and  over  it  went 
and  rolled  out  of  the  way.  Then  all  of  the  treas 
ure  hunters  got  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  gaze 
down  into  the  hole. 

"It  must  be  part  of  the  cave,"  said  Mr.  Rover. 

"I'll  climb  down  on  the  rope,"  said  Tom. 
"Hurry  up,  I  can't  wait!" 

"You  be  careful,  Tom,  or  you'll  get  hurt," 
warned  his  father.  But  it  must  be  confessed  he 
was  as  eager  as  his  son  to  learn  whether  or  not 
they  had  discovered  the  treasure  cave. 

Torn  went  down,  and  Dick  and  Sam  came  after 
him.  The  bottom  of  the  hole  was  rough.  On  one 
side  was  another  opening,  leading  to  what  cer 
tainly  looked  like  a  cave  of  considerable  extent. 

"Drop  down  the  lantern,"  called  Dick,  and 
Captain  Barforth  did  so.  With  the  lantern  lit 
Dick  crawled  into  the  side  opening  and  his  broth 
ers  followed. 

"This  is  certainly  a  cave,"  said  Tom.  "But 
whether  it  is  the  right  one  or  not  remains  to  be 
seen." 

"It  must  be  a  part  of  the  original  cave,  Tom," 
answered  Dick.  "Because  it  is  in  the  spot  cov- 


274     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

ered  by  the  other.  But  it  may  not  be  the  part 
that  contained  the  treasure." 

They  crawled  around,  over  the  rough  rocks  and 
fallen  dirt.  It  was  a  dangerous  proceeding,  for 
they  did  not  know  but  what  some  stones  might 
fall  at  any  moment  and  crush  them. 

Suddenly  Tom  and  Sam  uttered  the  single  ex 
clamation  : 

"Look!" 

Dick  looked  and  then  he,  too,  gave  a  cry.  From 
under  the  edge  of  a  rock  they  saw  one  end  of  a 
heavy  wooden  chest.  A  part  of  the  side  was 
split  away  and  through  the  hole  they  saw  a  quan 
tity  of  gold  money ! 


CHAPTER  XXX 

HOMEWARD    BOUND CONCLUSION 

"THE  treasure !" 

The  boys  uttered  the  cry  together  and  it  thrilled 
those  at  the  top  of  the  opening  as  nothing  else 
could  have  done. 

"What's  that  ?"  cried  Mr.  Rover. 

"We  have  found  one  of  the  chests,"  answered 
Dick. 

"And  it's  full  of  gold  pieces !"  added  Sam  an*1 
Tom  in  a  breath. 

"Then  this  is  the  treasure  cave  after  all,"  said 
Captain  Barforth.  "I  must  say  you  are  in  luck." 

"I'd  like  to  go  down  and  have  a  look,"  put  in 
Songbird  eagerly. 

All  wanted  to  look,  and  in  the  end  they  came 
down  one  after  another  by  way  of  the  rope.  The 
rock  on  the  chest  was  lifted  away  and  the  strong 
box  was  dragged  forth  into  the  light.  Sure 
enough,  it  was  filled  with  gold,  just  as  Bahama 
Bill  had  said  it  would  be. 

275 


276     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

"Bahama  Bill  said  there  were  three  chests," 
said  Mr.  Rover,  after  the  excitement  of  rinding 
so  much  wealth  had  somewhat  subsided.  "Do 
you  see  anything  of  the  other  two?" 

"Not  yet — but  they  must  be  somewhere  near,'' 
answered  his  oldest  son. 

Regardless  of  the  danger  of  falling  rocks,  they 
commenced  to  dig  around  where  the  chest  had 
been  uncovered.  They  soon  found  a  second 
chest,  which  contained  more  gold  in  leather  bags, 
and  also  a  quantity  of  jewelry  and  precious 
stones.  Then,  when  they  were  almost  ready  to 
give  up  work  for  the  day,  they  discovered  the 
third  chest,  smashed  flat  under  two  heavy  rocks, 
with  its  contents  of  gold  scattered  in  all  direc 
tions. 

"We'll  have  to  blow  up  those  rocks  to  get  all 
that  gold,"  said  Sam. 

"Don't  do  that,"  warned  Captain  Barforth.  "If 
you  do  you  may  cave  in  the  whole  roof  and  then 
the  gold  may  be  gone  forever." 

It  was  then  decided  to  bring  down  the  log  and 
pry  the  rocks  away,  and  late  as  it  was  this  was 
done,  and  they  scooped  up  the  loose  golden  pieces 
and  put  them  in  their  pockets. 

"It's  a  fine  lot  o'  money,"  was  the  comment  of 
Hollbrook,  the  sailor.  "Wish  some  o'  it  was 
mine." 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION        377 

"You  shall  be  well  paid  for  your  work,  Holl- 
brook,"  answered  Mr.  Rover.  "Only  stick  by  us 
and  help  us  to  get  this  to  safety." 

"Oh,  I'll  stick  by  you,"  was  the  ready  an* 
swer.  "I've  got  no  use  for  such  scoundrels  as 
Carey  and  Bossermann.  I'm  only  livin'  one  life, 
and  I'll  live  that  honest-like,  God  helpin'  me-" 

Night  was  coming  on  when  they  got  the  treas 
ure  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  hunted 
around  diligently  until  they  were  almost  certain 
they  had  everything  of  value.  Each  was  ex 
hausted  from  his  labors,  but  all  were  happy.  The 
Rovers  were  particularly  delighted. 

"This  will  make  the  Lanings  and  the  Stan 
hopes  independent  for  life,"  said  Dick,  to  his 
brothers. 

"And  they  deserve  it,"  returned  Tom.  "Won't 
they  be  glad  when  they  hear  the  news !" 

"Remember  one  thing,"  said  Sam.  "We 
haven't  got  the  treasure  from  the  isle  yet,  and 
we  don't  know  how  the  Rainbow  is  faring.  If 
those  on  the  Josephine  capture  our  steam  yacht  I 
don't  know  what  we  are  going  to  do." 

"Well,  we  won't  give  up  the  treasure,  no  mat 
ter  what  happens,"  said  Dick,  stoutly. 

Mr.  Rover  calculated  that  the  treasure  was 
worth  more  than  Bahama  Bill  had  said.  Roughly 
estimated  it  would  foot  up  to  over  a  hundred 


278     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

thousand  dollars,  and  this  figure  did  not  take  in 
some  jewelry  of  quaint  design  with  precious 
stones  which  were  new  to  the  treasure  hunters. 

"For  all  we  know  those  stones  may  be  worth 
another  ten  thousand  or  more,"  said  Dick.  "I 
can  tell  you,  it's  a  great  find  and  no  mistake !" 

It  was  decided  to  take  the  treasure  down  to 
the  shore  of  Horseshoe  Bay  and  there  bury  it 
directly  behind  the  sandy  beach. 

"And  we'll  leave  everything  here  as  near  as 
possible  as  we  found  it,"  said  Anderson  Rover. 
"Then,  if  Sid  Merrick  comes,  he  can  look  for 
the  treasure  to  his  heart's  content,"  and  he  winked 
at  his  sons. 

"Good!"  cried  Tom.  "I  hope  he  breaks  his 
back  working  to  move  the  rocks." 

Night  had  settled  over  Treasure  Isle  by  the 
time  the  shore  was  reached  with  the  treasure, 
which  was  carried  in  one  of  the  chests  and  in 
several  bundles  and  numerous  pockets.  Men  and 
boys  were  thoroughly  fagged  out,  and  they  sat 
down  under  the  trees  to  rest  before  starting  to 
place  their  find  underground  again. 

"We  might  as  well  wait  till  morning,"  said 
Tom.  "I  want  to  have  a  look  at  that  gold  and 
that  jewelry  by  daylight." 

"We  can  wait,"  said  his  father.     "So  long  as 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION 


279 


none  of  our  enemies  return  to  this  isle  we  shall  be 
safe." 

They  ate  what  little  provisions  were  left  and 
,  washed  down  the  scanty  meal  with  what  water 
1  was  left  in  the  bottles.  So  far  they  had  been  un 
able  to  find  any  springs  on  the  isle. 

"I  believe  the  want  of  fresh  water  is  what  keeps 
the  natives  away,"  was  Captain  Barforth's  com 
ment,  and  it  is  probable  that  his  surmise  was  cor 
rect. 

"I  see  a  light !"  cried  Songbird,  when  they  were 
on  the  point  of  retiring.  "It  is  out  on  the  water." 

He  pointed,  and  soon  all  made  out  the  lights  of 
a  vessel  in  the  distance.  Then,  as  the  craft  came 
closer,  they  saw  a  rocket  shoot  up  in  the  air,  fol 
lowed  by  a  Roman  candle. 

"It's  the  Rainbow!"  shouted  Dick.  "That  must 
be  some  sort  of  signal  for  us!" 

"But  where  is  the  Josephine?"  asked  Tom. 

Nobody  knew,  and  just  then  nobody  cared. 
Captain  Barforth  ran  down  to  the  water's  edge 
and  prepared  to  launch  one  of  the  small  boats. 

"I  am  going  out  to  my  vessel,"  he  said.  "Holl- 
brook,  come  along.  If  everything  is  all  right, 
we'll  send  two  rockets  up  or  fire  the  cannon 
twice.  Then  you  had  better  bring  the  treasure  on 
board  without  delay." 

This  was  agreed  to,  and  in  a  moment  more  the 


280     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

captain  and  his  man  were  afloat  and  rowing 
toward  the  opening  of  the  reef  with  all  their 
might.  Those  left  behind  waited  anxiously  for 
what  might  follow. 

"The  steam  yacht  may  be  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,"  said  Songbird,  but  he  was  mistaken,  for 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  up  went  two  rockets  into 
the  air.  Then  the  searchlight  struck  the  water, 
and  those  on  shore  saw  z.  rowboat  put  off  and 
head  for  land. 

"It's  Bahama  Bill  and  one  of  the  sailors,"  cried 
Tom,  a  little  later.  And  then  he  raised  his  voice 
as  the  rowboat  shot  into  the  bay.  "This  way, 
Bill,  this  way!" 

Soon  the  rowboat  struck  the  sand  and  Bahama 
Bill  leaped  out.  His  face  was  one  broad  smile. 

"So  ye  got  the  treasure  after  all,  did  ye!"  he 
cried.  "I'm  powerful  glad  on  it,  yes,  sir!  Now 
we'll  fool  that  Merrick  crowd  good!" 

"But  what  of  them  and  of  their  vessel?"  asked 
Anderson  Rover  anxiously. 

"Broke  down  an'  drifting  out  on  the  ocean," 
answered  the  old  tar,  and  then  he  continued: 
"You  know  how  they  tried  to  board  us — after 
Carey,  Bossermann,  that  skunk  o'  a  Wingate,  an' 
Ulligan  went  to  'em.  Well,  fust  we  kept  'em  off 
with  fireworks  and  with  a  shotgun.  We  didn't 
have  much  steam  up,  but  Frank  Norton — bless 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION       28l 

his  heart — worked  like  a  beaver,  and  the  boys, 
Fred  and  Hans,  helped  him.  I  went  to  steer  an' 
by  good  luck  kept  off  the  rocks  an'  reefs.  They 
came  after  us  pell-mell  an'  onct  or  twict  we 
thought  sure  they  had  us,  an'  all  o'  us  got  pistols 
and  cutlasses  an'  prepared  to  fight.  The  ladies 
an'  the  gals  was  most  scared  to  death  an'  locked 
themselves  in  their  staterooms.  But  we  put  some 
ile  on  the  fire  an'  putty  soon  we  had  steam  enough 
up  to  bust,  an'  then  we  walked  right  away  from 
'em.  I  reckon  the  captain  o'  the  Josephine  was 
mad,  for  he  kept  on  a-followin'  us  and  onct  hi 
got  putty  close  ag'in.  But  then  came  some  sort 
o'  an  explosion  from  the  other  boat,  an'  WL-,  see  a 
cloud  o'  steam  rushin'  up  from  below,  an'  some 
body  jumped  overboard.  Then  the  steam  blew 
away  an'  the  engine  stopped,  an'  we  vent  on-^ 
an'  left  them  away  out  in  the  ocean,  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  from  here.  We  calkerlated  they'd 
follow  us  soon  as  they  could  make  repairs,  so  we 
came  on  at  full  speed,  to  take  you  on  board." 

"Is  everybody  safe?"  asked  Dick. 

"Yes.  That  Dutch  boy  burnt  himself  ag'in 
with  a  rocket,  but  it  ain't  much  an'  he  don't  care, 
for  he  said  the  rocket  hit  a  chap  named  Sobber  in 
the  stomach  and  keeled  him  over." 

"Good  for  Hans!"  cried  Sam.  "That  will  giv* 
Tad  Sobber  something  to  remember  him  by !" 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

As  quickly  as  it  could  be  done,  the  treasure  was 
transferred  to  the  two  rowboats,  and  the  entire 
party  set  out  for  the  steam  yacht.  They  were 
careful  in  going  through  the  opening  in  the  reef, 
for  nobody  wanted  to  see  either  boat  swamped 
and  its  precious  contents  lost.  The  passage  war 
made  in  safety,  the  searchlight  aiding  them. 

"Back  again!"  cried  Dick,  as  he  mounted  to 
the  deck. 

*'Oh,  Dick,  are  you  safe?"  cried  Dora,  rushing 
to  him. 

"Yes,  and  we  have  the  treasure!"  he  answered 
proudly. 

"Oh,  how  glad  I  am  everybody  is  safe!"  put 
in  Nellie. 

"We  are  all  glad,"  said  Mrs.  Stanhope.  "The 
last  forty-eight  hours  have  been  so  full  of  peril !" 

Of  course  everybody  has  to  tell  his  or  her  story, 
and  for  a  long  time  there  was  a  perfect  babel  of 
voices.  Fred  and  Hans  related  how  the  steam 
yacht  had  been  rescued  from  the  clutches  of  the 
enemy,  and  how  Frank  Norton  had  taken  com 
mand  and  prevented  anything  in  the  shape  of  a 
mutiny.  The  ladies  and  girls  told  of  how  they 
had  been  scared  and  how  they  had  locked  them 
selves  up  in  a  stateroom,  as  Bahama  Bill  had  said. 
Then  the  Rover  boys  had  to  tell  all  about  the 
finding  of  the  great  treasure. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION       283 

"And  just  to  think?"  cried  Tom.  "It  is  worth 
more  than  we  at  first  supposed !  And  in  his  glee 
he  hugged  both  Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Mrs.  Laning, 
and  then  hugged  Nellie.  Nellie  herself  was  so 
excited  she  never  even  noticed  it. 

In  the  meantime,  Captain  Bar  forth  was  con 
sulting  with  the  chief  engineer  and  learning  some 
of  the  particulars  of  how  the  mate  had  acted  and 
how  the  steam  yacht  had  been  chased  by  the 
tramp  steamer. 

"I  trust  I  did  what  was  proper,  Captain  Bar- 
forth,"  said  Norton,  anxiously.  "I  tried  to  use 
my  best  judgment.  From  what  Miss  Stanhope 
overheard  of  the  talk  between  Mr.  Carey  and  that 
scoundrel  of  a  Wingate  I  felt  Mr.  Carey  was  not 
the  proper  man  to  trust." 

"You  did  exactly  right,"  said  the  captain,  "and 
what  has  happened  since  proves  it.  If  Carey  and 
Bossermann  try  to  kick  up  any  fuss  I'll  tend  to 
them." 

Mr.  Rover  was  called  into  the  consultation,  and 
it  was  decided  to  leave  the  vicinity  of  Treasure 
Isle  at  once,  before  the  Josephine  should  put  in 
an  appearance.  It  was  a  cloudy  night,  so  they 
had  to  run  with  care  and  at  reduced  speed.  They 
kept  a  constant  lookout  for  the  other  vessel,  but 
failed  to  sight  her. 

"Carey  and  Bossermann,  as  well  as  Ulligan, 


284     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

will  have  to  remain  on  board  of  her,"  said  Cap 
tain  Bar  forth.  "Mr.  Rover  wants  to  get  back  to 
Philadelphia  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  treas 
ure,  and  she  is  under  his  charter.  If  they  want 
to  kick  up  a  fuss  later,  why,  they  can  do  it,  that's 
all." 

"Homeward  bound!"  cried  Sam,  enthusiast!- 
'  cally. 

"And  with  the  treasure  safe  on  board!"  added 
Tom.  "It  seems  almost  too  good  to  be  true." 

"And  the  enemy  left  behind,'"  put  in  Dick.  "I 
hope  they  go  back  and  hunt  for  the  stuff,"  he 
went  on,  with  a  grin. 

His  wish  was  fulfilled,  as  they  learned  a  long 
time  later,  through  one  of  the  sailors  composing 
the  crew  of  the  Josephine.  The  tramp  steamer 
tried  all  of  the  next  day  to  locate  the  steam  yacht 
and  then  Sid  Merrick  ordered  the  craft  back  to 
Treasure  Isle.  Here,  Merrick,  Tad  Sobber, 
Carey,  Bossermann  and  several  others  worked 
for  nearly  a  week  trying  to  unearth  the  treasure, 
but,  of  course,  without  success.  Then  they  had  a 
quarrel  with  the  Spaniard,  Doranez,  who  would 
not  keep  sober.  They  accused  the  man  of  taking 
them  to  the  wrong  place,  and  in  the  fight  that 
followed  three  men  were  seriously  wounded. 
Then  all  went  aboard  the  steamer  and  set  sail 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION       285 

for  Cuba.  The  very  next  day  the  Josephine  was 
caught  in  a  hurricane,  one  of  the  worst  experi 
enced  in  the  West  Indies  for  many  years.  It  drove 
the  tramp  steamer  on  the  rocks,  and  before  she 
could  be  gotten  off  several  big  holes  were  pounded 
into  her  and  she  went  down.  The  sailor  who  told 
the  story  said  he  got  away  with  four  other  sail 
ors  in  a  rowboat,  and  after  a  fearful  experience 
lasting  two  days  was  picked  up  by  a  steamer 
bound  for  Havana.  He  did  not  know  what  had 
become  of  the  others  on  board  and  was  of  the 
opinion  that  the  most  of  them,  if  not  all,  had 
been  drowned. 

Fortunately  for  those  on  the  steam  yacht,  the 
Rainbow  weathered  the  hurricane  well.  The  craft 
did  a  lot  of  plunging  and  pitching,  and  the  ladies 
and  girls  had  to  keep  below,  but  that  was  all. 
After  the  hurricane  the  weather  became  unusually 
fine,  and  the  trip  back  to  Philadelphia  proved  a 
pleasant  one.  Arriving  at  the  Quaker  City,  Mr. 
Rover  had  the  treasure  deposited  in  a  strong  box 
of  a  local  Trust  Company,  and  later  it  was  di 
vided  according  to  the  terms  of  Mr.  Stanhope's 
will.  This  put  a  goodly  sum  in  the  bank  for 
Dora  and  her  mother,  and  also  large  amounts  to 
the  credit  of  Mrs.  Laning  and  Nellie  and  Grace. 
The  entire  expenses  of  the  trip  were  paid  out  of 
the  treasure,  and  Captain  Barforth  and  his  men 


286     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

were  not  forgotten  for  their  services.  Mrs.  Stan 
hope  wanted  to  reward  the  boys,  but  not  one 
would  listen  to  this. 

"Well,  you  are  very  kind,"  she  said,  to  all  of 
them.  "If  at  any  time  you  are  in  trouble,  come 
to  me.  I  shall  not  forget  you."  She,  however, 
insisted  upon  presenting  Dick  with  a  new  watch 
and  chain  and  diamond  pin  to  replace  those  stolen 
from  him  by  Cuffer  and  Shelley. 

"Well,  that  winds  up  the  treasure  hunt,"  ob 
served  Tom,  as  the  whole  party  were  on  their 
way  home.  "Now  for  the  next  move  on  the 
programme." 

"The  next  move  is  to  go  to  school  once  more," 
said  Dick.  And  he  was  right,  as  we  shall  learn  in 
the  next  volume  of  this  series,  to  be  entitled,  "The 
Rover  Boys  at  College ;  Or,  The  Right  Road  and 
the  Wrong."  In  that  volume  we  shall  meet  many 
of  our  old  friends  once  more,  and  learn  the  de 
tails  of  a  plot  against  fun-loving  Tom  which  had 
a  most  unlooked-for  ending.  We  shall  also  meet 
Dora  and  her  cousins  again,  and  see  how  they 
acted  when  their  boy  friends  were  in  deep 
trouble. 

The  home  coming  for  the  Rover  boys  was  full 
of  pleasure.  Uncle  Randolph  and  Aunt  Martha 
were  at  the  depot  to  meet  them,  and  the  aunt  gave 
each  the  warmest  kind  of  a  hug  and  kiss,  while 


HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION       287 

the  uncle  shook  hands  over  and  over  again.  Nor 
were  Anderson  Rover  and  Aleck  forgotten. 

"Back  again,  and  glad  of  it,"  said  Tom,  as  he 
flung  his  cap  into  the  air.  "The  West  Indies  are 
all  right,  but  give  me  Valley  Brook  farm  every 
time." 

"So  say  we  all  of  us,"  sung  out  Dick  and  Sam, 
and  here  we  will  once  again  bid  our  friends  good 
bye. 


THE  END. 


THE    TOM     SWIFT    SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 
Author  of  "  The  Don  Sturdy  Series." 

Tom  Swift,  known  to  millions  of  boys  of  this  generation,  is 
a  bright  ingenious  youth  whose  inventions,  discoveries  and 
thrilling  adventures  are  described  in  these  spirited  tales 
that  tell  of  the  wonderful  advances  in  modern  science. 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  CYCLE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRSHIP 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SUBMARINE  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIRELESS  MESSAGE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RUNABOUT 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  DIAMOND  MAKERS 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CAVES  OF  ICE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  RACER 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RIFLE 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLD 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  CAPTIVITY 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIZARD  CAMERA 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  SEARCHLIGHT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GIANT  CANNON 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  PHOTO  TELEPHONE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AERIAL  WARSHIP 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  BIG  TUNNEL 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  LAND  OF  WONDERS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WAR  TANK 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  SCOUT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  UNDERSEA  SEARCH 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  FIRE  FIGHTERS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  LOCOMOTIVE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  FYLING  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  OIL  GUSHER 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  CHEST  OF  SECRETS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRLINE  EXPRESS 

TOM  SWIFT  CIRCLING  THE  GLOBE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  TALKING  PICTURES 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  HOUSE  ON  WHEELS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  BIG  DIRIGIBLE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  TRAIN 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GIANT  MAGNET 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  TELEVISION  DETECTOR 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,      PUBLISHERS,      NEW  YORK 


THE  DON  STURDY  SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 
Author  of  "The  Tom  Swift  Series" 

Every  red-blooded  boy  will  enjoy  the  thrilling  adventures 
of  Don  Sturdy.  In  company  with  his  uncles,  one  a  big 
game  hunter,  the  other  a  noted  scientist,  he  travels  far  and 
wide — into  the  jungles  of  South  America,  across  the  Sahara, 
deep  into  the  African  jungle,  up  where  the  Alaskan  volca 
noes  spout,  down  among  the  head  hunters  of  Borneo  and 
many  other  places  where  there  is  danger  and  excitement. 
Every  boy  who  has  known  Tom  Swift  will  at  once  become 
the  boon  companion  of  daring  Don  Sturdy. 

DON  STURDY  ON  THE  DESERT  OF  MYSTERY 
DON  STURDY  WITH  THE  BIG  SNAKE  HUNTERS 
DON  STURDY  IN  THE  TOMBS  OF  GOLD 
DON  STURDY  ACROSS  THE  NORTH  POLE 
DON  STURDY  IN  THE  LAND  OF  VOLCANOES 
DON  STURDY  IN  THE  PORT  OF  LOST  SHIPS 
DON  STURDY  AMONG  THE  GORILLAS 
DON  STURDY  CAPTURED  BY  HEAD  HUNTERS 
DON  STURDY  IN  LION  LAND 
DON  STURDY  IN  THE  LAND  OF  GIANTS 
DON  STURDY  ON  THE  OCEAN  BOTTOM 
DON  STURDY  IN  THE  TEMPLES  OF  FEAR 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


Each  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 


Thrilling  tales  of  the  great  west,  told  primarily  for  boys 
but  which  will  be  read  by  all  who  love  mystery,  rapid 
action,  and  adventures  in  the  great  open  spaces. 

The  Manly  boys,  Roy  and  Teddy,  are  the  sons  of  an  old 
fanchman,  the  owner  of  many  thousands  of  heads  of  cattle. 
The  lads  know  how  to  ride,  how  to  shoot,  and  how  to 
take  care  of  themselves  under  any  and  all  circumstances. 

The  cowboys  of  the  X  Bar  X  Ranch  are  real  cowboys, 
on  the  job  when  required,  but  full  of  fun  and  daring — a 
bunch  any  reader  will  be  delighted  to  know. 

THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  ON  THE  RANCH 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  IN  THUNDER  CANYON 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  ON  WHIRLPOOL  RIVER 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  ON  BIG  BISON  TRAIL 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  AT  THE  ROUND-UP 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  AT  NUGGET  CAMP 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  AT  RUSTLER'S  GAP 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  AT  GRIZZLY  PASS 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  LOST  IN  THE  ROCKIES 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  RIDING  FOR  LIFE 
THE  X  BAR  X  BOYS  IN  SMOKY  VALLEY 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


THE  HARDY  BOYS  SERIES 

By  FRANKLIN  W.  DIXON 

IlhiBtrated.    Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself 

The  Hardy  Boys  are  sons  of  a  celebrated  American 
detective,  and  during  vacations  and  their  off  time  from 
school  they  help  their  father  by  hunting  down  dues  them 
selves. 

THE  TOWER  TREASURE— A  dying  criminal  confessed  that 
his  loot  had  been  secreted  "  in  the  tower."  It  remained  for  the 
Hardy  Boys  to  clear  up  the  mystery. 

THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF— Mr.  Hardy  started  to  invest- 
igate — and  disappeared !  An  odd  tale,  with  plenty  of  excitement. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  OLD  MILL— Counterfeit  money  was 
in  circulation,  and  the  limit  was  reached  when  Mrs.  Hardy  took 
some  from  a  stranger.  A  tale  full  of  thrills. 

THE  MISSING  CHUMS— Two  of  the  Hardy  Boys'  chums 
disappear  and  are  almost  rescued  by  their  friends  when  all  are 
captured.  A  thrilling  story  of  adventure. 

HUNTING  FOR  HIDDEN  GOLD— in  tracing  some  stolen 
gold  the  trail  leads  the  boys  to  an  abandoned  mine,  and  there 
things  start  to  happen. 

THE  SHORE  ROAD  MYSTERY— Automobiles  were  disap 
pearing  most  mysteriously  from  the  Shore  Road.  It  remained  for 
the  Hardy  Boys  to  solve  the  mystery. 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  CAVES— When  the  boys  reached 
the  caves  they  came  unexpectedly  upon  a  queer  old  hermit. 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  CABIN  ISLAND— A  story  of  queer 
adventures  on  a  rockbound  island. 

THE  GREAT  AIRPORT  MYSTERY— The  Hardy  Boys  solve 
the  mystery  of  the  disappearance  of  some  valuable  mail. 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  MIDNIGHT— The  boys  follow  a 
trail  that  ends  in  a  strange  and  exciting  situation. 

WHILE  THE  CLOCK  TICKED— The  Hardy  Boys  aid  in  vin 
dicating  a  man  who  has  been  wrongly  accused  of  a  crime. 

FOOTPRINTS  UNDER  THE  WINDOW— The  Smuggling 
of  Chinese  into  this  country  is  the  basis  of  this  story  in  which  the 
boys  find  thrills  and  excitement  aplenty. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  NEW  YORK 


TED  SCOTT  FLYING  STORIES 

By  FRANKLIN  W.  DIXON 
Illustrated.     Each  Volume  Complete  in  lUelf. 

No  subject  has  so  thoroughly  caught  the  imagination  of 
young  America  as  aviation.  This  series  has  been  inspired 
by  recent  daring  feats  of  the  air,  and  is  dedicated  to 
Lindbergh,  Byrd,  Chamberlin  and  other  heroes  of  the  skies. 

OVER  THE  OCEAN  TO  PARIS; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Daring  Long  Distance  Flight. 

RESCUED  IN  THE  CLOUDS; 

or,  Ted  Scott,  Hero  of  the  Air. 

OVER  THE  ROCKIES  WITH  THE  AIR  MAIL; 

or,   Ted  Scott  Lost  in  the  Wilderness. 

FIRST  STOP  HONOLULU; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Over  the  Pacific. 

THE  SEARCH  FOR  THE  LOST  FLYERS; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Over  the  West  Indies. 

SOUTH  OF  THE  RIO  GRANDE; 

or,  Ted  Scott  On  a  Secret  Mission. 

ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC ; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Hop  to  Australia. 

THE  LONE  EAGLE  OF  THE  BORDER ; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Diamond  Smugglers. 

FLYING  AGAINST  TIME; 

or,  Breaking  the  Ocean  to  Ocean  Record. 

OVER  THE  JUNGLE  TRAILS ; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Missing  Explorers. 

LOST  AT  THE  SOUTH  POLE; 

or,  Ted  Scott  in  Blizzard  Land. 

THROUGH  THE  AIR  TO  ALASKA; 

or,  Ted  Scott" s  Search  in  Nugget  Valley. 

FLYING  TO  THE  RESCUE ; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Big  Dirigible. 

DANGER  TRAILS  OF  THE  SKY; 

or,  Ted  Scott's  Great  Mountain  Climb. 

FOLLOWING  THE  SUN  SHADOW; 

or,  Ted  Scott  and  the  Great  Eclipse. 

BATTLING  THE  WIND; 

or,  Ted  Scott  Flying  Around  Cape  Horn. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


HAL  KEEN  MYSTERY  STORIES 

By  HUGH  LLOYD 

Boys !  Meet  Hal  Keen,  that  lanky,  nonchalant,  red 
headed  youth  whose  guiding  star  is  the  star  that  points  to 
adventure,  excitement  and  mystery.  Follow  him  in  his 
hunts  for  clues  and  criminals.  There  are  plenty  of  thrills 
and  shivers  in  these  stories  to  keep  you  on  your  toes. 

THE  SMUGGLER'S  SECRET 

Hal  Keen  sets  out  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  a  mystery  that 
threatens  the  safety  of  a  whole  community. 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  ARAB 

Mystery,  excitement,  murder  in  a  scientist's  camp  in  the  jungles 
of  Africa,  where  hate,  revenge,  and  suspicion  lead  to  tragedy. 

THE  HERMIT  OF  GORDON'S  CREEK 

The  disappearance  of  two  airmail  pilots  leads  to  a  mystery  that 
centers  about  an  abandoned  mine  and  a  strange  old  man. 

KIDNAPPED  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

A  hint  of  buried  treasure  in  the  ruins  of  an  old  French  mission 
leads  Hal  deep  into  the  Central  American  jungle. 

THE  COPPERHEAD  TRAIL  MYSTERY 

Baffling  and  blood-curdling  events   center  about   the  ranch 
•where  Hal  Keen  and  his  friends  had  gone  in  search  of  gold. 

THE  LONESOME  SWAMP  MYSTERY 

The  lonely  and  mysterious  swamp  gave  up  its  secret  only  after 
a  series  of  terrifying  events  taxed  Hal's  courage  and  ability. 

THE  CLUE  AT  SKELETON  ROCKS 

In  this  new  thriller  Hal  Keen  finds  mystery  and  adventure  in  and 
about  a  lonely  lighthouse  on  Skeleton  Rocks,  oS  the  Maine  coast. 

THE  DOOM  OF  STARK  HOUSE 

Mystery  and  terror  in  an  old  house  in  the  wilderness  above 
Quebec  where  Hal  Keen  is  the  guest  of  a  strange  family. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


THE  AVIATION  SERIES 

By  JOHN  PRENTICE  LANGLEY 


Here  is  an  intensely  exciting  series  on  a  topic  of  world 
wide  interest — Aviation.  Every  day  one  hears  of  new  stunts 
accomplished  by  pilots.  With  the  passing  of  each  year 
new  records  in  altitude  and  long  distance  are  made.  In 
thes«  stories  Amos  Green  and  his  chum,  Danny  Cooper, 
accomplish  all  the  thrilling  deeds  of  the  air  that  have 
been  done  before  only  by  hardened  veterans.  Moreover, 
backed  by  the  mysterious  "  Mr.  Carstairs  "  they  succeed  in 
doing  stunts  new  to  the  history  of  aviation.  You'll  find 
them  vastly  exciting. 

TRAIL  BLAZERS  OF  THE  SKIES 
SPANNING  THE  PACIFIC 
MASTERS  THE  AIR-LANES 
THE  PATHFINDER'S  GREAT  FLIGHT 
AIR  VOYAGERS  OF  THE  ARCTIC 
DESERT  HAWKS  ON  THE  WING 
CHASING  THE  SETTING  SUN 
BRIDGING  THE  SEVEN  SEAS 
THE  STAIRCASE  OF  THE  WIND 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


BOOKS   BY   LEO    EDWARDS 

Illustrated.     Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Hundreds  of  thousands  of  boys  have  laughed  until  their 
sides  ached  over  the  weird  and  wonderful  adventures  of 
Jerry  Todd,  Poppy  Ott,  Trigger  Berg  and  their  friends. 
Mr.  Edwards'  boy  characters  are  all  real.  They  do  the 
things  other  boys  like.  Pirates!  Mystery!  Detectives! 
Adventure!  Ghosts!  Buried  Treasure!  Achievement! 
Stories  of  boys  making  things,  doing  things,  going  places 
— always  on  the  jump  and  always  having  fun.  His  stories 
are  for  boys  and  girls  of  all  ages. 

THE  JERRY  TODD  BOOKS 

JERRY  TODD  AND  THE  WHISPERING  MUMMY 
ERRY  TODD  AND  THE  ROSE  COLORED  CAT 
ERRY  TODD  AND  THE  OAK  ISLAND  TREASURE 
ERRY  TODD  AND  THE  WALTZING  HEN 
ERRY  TODD  AND  THE  TALKING  FROG 

IERRY  TODD  AND  THE  PURRING  EGG 

TERRY  TODD  IN  THE  WHISPERING  CAVE 

TERRY  TODD,  PIRATE 

JERRY  TODD  AND  THE  BOB-TAILED  ELEPHANT 

TERRY  TODD,  EDITOR-IN-GRIEF 

JERRY  TODD,  CAVEMAN 

THE  POPPY  OTT  BOOKS 

POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  STUTTERING  PARROT 
POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  SEVEN  LEAGUE  STILTS 
POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  GALLOPING  SNAIL 
POPPY  OTT'S  PEDIGREED  PICKLES 
POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  FRECKLED  GOLDFISH 
POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  TITTERING  TOTEM 
POPPY  OTT  AND  THE  PRANCING  PANCAKE 
POPPY  OTT  HITS  THE  TRAIL 

THE  TRIGGER  BERG  BOOKS 

TRIGGER  BERG  AND  THE  TREASURE  TREE 
TRIGGER  BERG  AND  700  MOUSETRAPS 
TRIGGER  BERG  AND  THE  SACRED  PIG 

THE  TUFFY  BEAN  BOOKS 

TUFFY  BEAN'S  PUPPY  DAYS 
TUFFY  BEAN'S  ONE  RING  CIRCUS 
TUFFY  BEAN  AT  FUNNY-BONE  FARM 
TUFFY  BEAN  AND  THE  LOST  FORTUNE 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,      PUBLISHERS,      NEW  YORK 


GARRY    GRAYSON    FOOTBALL 
STORIES 

By  ELMER  A.  DAWSON 

Illustrated.    Each  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Garry  Grayson  is  a  football  fan,  first,  last,  and  all  the  time.  But 
more  than  that,  he  is  a  wideawake  American  boy  with  a  "gang" 
of  chums  almost  as  wideawake  as  himself. 

How  Garry  organized  the  first  football  eleven  his  grammar 
school  had,  how  he  later  played  on  the  High  School  team,  and 
what  he  did  on  the  Prep  School  gridiron  and  elsewhere,  is  told  in 
a  manner  to  please  all  readers  and  especially  those  interested  in 
watching  a  rapid  forward  pass,  a  plucky  tackle,  or  a  hot  run  for  a 
touchdown. 

Good,  clean  football  at  its  best — and  in  addition,  rattling  stories 
of  mystery  and  schoolboy  rivalries. 

GARRY  GRAYSON'S  HILL  STREET  ELEVEN ;  or,  The 

Football  Boys  of  Lenox. 
GARRY  GRAYSON  AT  LENOX  HIGH;  or,  The  Cham- 

pions  of  the  Football  League. 
GARRY  GRAYSON'S  FOOTBALL  RIVALS;  or,  The 

Secret  of  the  Stolen  Signals. 
GARRY  GRAYSON  SH9WING  HIS  SPEED;  or,  A 

Daring  Run  on  the  Gridiron. 
GARRY  GRAYSON  AT  STANLEY  PREP ;  or,  The 

Football   Rivals   of  Riverview. 
GARRY  GRAYSON'S  WINNING  KICK ;  or,  Battling 

for  Honor. 
GARRY  GRAYSON  HITTING  THE  LINE  ;  or,  Stanley 

Prep  on  a  New  Gridiron. 
GARRY  GRAYSON'S  WINNING  TOUCHDOWN;  or, 

Putting  Passmore  Tech  on  the  Map. 
GARRY  GRAYSON'S  DOUBLE  SIGNALS ;  or,  Van 
quishing  the  Football  Plotters. 
GARRY  GRAYSON'S  FORWARD  PASS ;  or,  Winning 

in  the  Final  Quarter. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  NEW  YORK 


